Hotel bills across Canada are getting a little heavier. Ontario has joined Alberta, British Columbia and a string of other provinces in increasing accommodation taxes aimed at boosting tourism revenue in 2026, according to a new comparison of provincial tax schedules.
The details vary province to province. Alberta raised its tourism levy from 4 to 6 per cent in April. In British Columbia, the local municipal and regional district tax continues, with Vancouver tacking on an additional 2.5 per cent major-events levy. In Ontario, Toronto charges a 6 per cent municipal accommodation tax while Niagara Falls introduced a new percentage-based rate this year, ending the patchwork flat-fee era.
Elsewhere, Quebec keeps its roughly 3.5 per cent lodging tax, Winnipeg holds at 6 per cent, Halifax stays at 3 per cent, and St. John's in Newfoundland and Labrador sits at 4 per cent. The territories and Saskatchewan have no equivalent province-wide tourism levy. Officials say higher room prices, occupancy and improved collection are all contributing to rising receipts — welcome news for tourism coffers, if not for travellers' wallets.
