Spain’s Balearic islands plan a new ‘tourist tax’ next year for overnight visitors on holiday in Majorca, Menorca or Ibiza. Tourists would be charged 1- 2 Euro per day per person for overnight stays in the Balearics. The tax is, however, likely to vary according to season and may be lower for children and pensioners.
Biel Barcelo, tourism minister for the Mediterranean islands, told Spanish newspaper Mallorca Diario, that money generated from a tourist tax would be reinvested in the tourism industry and would fund efforts to protect natural resources, natural and cultural heritage and landscape conservation.
A tourist tax will mean big money. An estimate is around 100 million Euro. Mallorca Airport alone has 23 million tourists every year.
Critics say the islands risk losing millions if the tax is implemented and holidaymakers choose to travel to beaches and party elsewhere.
In a statement, the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said any tax “would only have the unintended consequence of driving tourists away from the islands. “
“Of course safeguarding the environment of the islands has to be a high priority. But this tax is not the most sensible way to fund these efforts,” says Association of British Travel Agents.
Also from the Danish side sounds protest.
Peder Hornshøj, Director, Bravo Tours, Denmark, and Chairman of RID, the Association of charter travel agencies in Denmark:
“I do not know if a tourist tax will scare people away. But it is the wrong signal. The plan now is a tax of 1-2 Euro. So it is tempting later to turn the button so the tax will be higher and higher. Mallorca is currently “Value for money.” It should also be so in the future. But if Mallorca gets a reputation for being an expensive nation, it will scare people away.
What next? It is bottomless, and it must not occur. Therefore, RID will protest to the Balearic government against the proposed tourist tax.”
Peder Hornshøj estimates that about 100,000 Danish tourists annually visit Majorca.
Leif Vase Larsen, CEO, Apollo, Stockholm:
“As an environmentally conscious travel agency, we support sustainable travel. I understand that the Balearic government wants money for cleaner sources of environment, infrastructure, new tourism etc.
The question of a new tourist tax of 2 Euro per night per person in five-star hotels and 1 Euro at 1-4 star hotels have been discussed the last three years on Mallorca and Ibiza.
Proponents of a new tourist tax say that a tourist tax is not damaging tourism in Barcelona. But it is two different things.
Time spent in Barcelona is in average four days while in Mallorca it is 10 days.
10 days 10 Euro for two persons is 20 Euro. 20 Euro on the journey, perhaps more if it’s a family with children, will maybe get some travelers to choose elsewhere.
We have not noticed anything in the contract prices we have with the hotels on Mallorca. As we understand it, if the environmental tax comes, it paves the way to be settled directly with the hotel upon departure,” says Leif Vase Larsen, to TTO Scandinavia.
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