Electronic Travel Authorization

The United Kingdom has erected a virtual tool booth under the guise of a travel authorization.  For £10 (12.45 USD), it gives you permission to travel to the UK.  They even have an app for iOS and Android that makes their collection so convenient (mainly for them).  A European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is required for most mainland Europe countries and costs £7.  The United States has the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) which costs $21.  Other countries have similar ways to collect more of your money.

Taxes are necessary, and the clever ones mostly tax other people, not their direct citizens.  For example, Dayton, Ohio has a combined tax rate for hotel stays of 13.5%.  Not many citizens of Dayton are likely to stay in hotel rooms, so the vast majority of this does not impact them.  When renting a car in Austin, Texas, 40% of the cost is for taxes and fees.  And of course, a favorite of state and federal governments is "taxing the rich", which is never going to apply to me.  

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta