Saarbrücken introduces bed tax: 1.5 million euros for tourism!

Saarbrücken introduces bed tax: 1.5 million euros for tourism!

It is now official in Saarbrücken: The introduction of a bed tax was decided by a majority in the city council last Tuesday. This measure is scheduled to come into force on April 1, 2026 and entails an accommodation tax of 3.5 percent on the overnight price. The city expects this innovation to generate around 1.5 million euros in additional income, which will flow directly into the implementation of its tourism strategy. This is reported by [SR.de](https://www.sr.de/sr/home/nachrichten/panorama/ Decision_bettensteuer_stadbruecken_100.html).

What is behind this step? The additional funds will be used, among other things, for longer opening times for the tourist information center and for marketing measures along important railway routes. This could expand the scope for a burgeoning tourism scene in the region. While the SPD wanted to postpone the collection of the tax by three years until 2029, there was a lot of criticism from the FDP and the PARTY. FDP parliamentary group leader Helmut Isringhaus described the tax as a “wrong signal to the industry”.

Criticism from the industry

The reactions from the hotel industry are predominantly negative. Michael Buchna, the President of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) in Saarland, said that the tax was coming at an inopportune time. Owner-managed family businesses in particular would be hit harder. What is interesting is that the tax is formally paid by the guest, but many establishments fear that they will not be able to pass on these costs. This particularly applies to offers that particularly appeal to business travelers, as their overnight prices are often negotiated based on fixed quotas.

On an interesting note: In neighboring federal states such as Rhineland-Palatinate, several cities, including Trier and Mainz, already have a similar bed tax. These developments highlight the different approaches to tourism policy in the region.

Consequences for Saarbrücken

What are the next steps? The city administration plans to have hotel operators report their tax burden every six months by email in the future. This new arrangement could introduce a certain amount of bureaucracy, but it remains to be seen how smoothly the system will work.

Overall, the introduction of the bed tax in Saarbrücken seems to be a step in a new direction, which, however, comes with cautious expectations and not without resistance from the industry. However, one thing is certain: the debate about the best use of this additional revenue will keep the city and those responsible for it busy for some time.

For further details on developments surrounding the bed tax, visit the detailed reports on Zeit.de.