Following in the footsteps of the autonomous region of Cataluña, the Balearic Islands will now be the second region to implement the infamous ‘tourist tax’.
This levy is a sum of money charged to all visitors who stay overnight in any type of regulated accommodation.
From 1 July this year, each tourist over the age of 15 who stays in a holiday home, hotel, hostel, B&B or even on a cruise ship will be charged between 0,25 euro and 2 euro for each night of their stay.
Therefore, this will apply to all tourists staying in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera.
With this new initiative, also dubbed ‘the ecotax’ the Balearic regional government hopes to generate approximately 80 million euro a year, double the amount collected in Cataluña, who brought in this tax at the end of 2012.
The money will be used to create a sustainable type of tourism and to conserve the environment and natural spaces within the islands, although the exact use of the money will be decided by a specific commission made up of political institutions and social agents.
The tourist tax is being applied in several other European destinations yet it has been noted that this hasn’t reduced the numbers of tourists in any way. Nevertheless, the main reason that those who work in the holiday and tourism sector on the Islands are against the tax is because they believe that people will choose other destinations over the Balearics despite the fact that there is no proof that this would be the case .
Source: www.idealista.com
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