Immigration by property investment in Spain naturally removes the worry of tourist taxes, but tourists are certainly dissatisfied. Summer is the peak tourist season in Spain, and if you are planning to travel to Spain this summer, you must be prepared to pay an additional “tourist tax”. According to the British newspaper The Independent, in order to develop sustainable tourism, the Spanish government plans to start charging visitors to the Balearic Islands a “tourist tax” from July 1st, with a maximum payment of 92 Euros for a family. Many travelers who had already planned their trips expressed anger at this news.
Reportedly, the Spanish government's implementation of the tourist tax is intended to develop “sustainable tourism”. The plan was officially approved in March this year and is set to be implemented on July 1st. Each tourist will pay approximately 2 Euros (about 14.6 RMB) per person per day, with the cost varying depending on the season, accommodation type, and the age of the individual.
Under the new regulations, when travelers stay in local hotels, they must pay a tax in addition to the room rent; the specific amount charged depends on the hotel's rating.
For stays in 1 to 3-star hotels, travelers must pay 1 Euro per person per night; for stays in 4 to 5-star hotels, travelers must pay 2 Euros. If a traveler's stay exceeds 9 days, the tax amount will be halved after the 9th day.
Taking a family of 4 as an example, if all 4 members are over 16 years old and plan to stay in Spain for 2 weeks, then this family will have to pay an extra 92 Euros (about 672.8 RMB).
In addition to standard hotels, even if tourists choose to stay in international youth hostels or camp at campsites, they must pay taxes to the government.
For tourists, the only good news is that the tourist tax is currently limited to the Balearic Islands in eastern Spain, including Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and Menorca. The head of the local government stated that all tax revenues will be used to protect the islands' natural resources.
The Spanish government's imposition of a tourist tax has been strongly criticized by travel agencies and consumer watchdog organizations, who believe that this move will increase the financial burden of tourism for many families. Fred Isaac of the “Consumer Action” website said that during the summer holidays, hotel prices remain high, and the tourist tax will only further hurt the interests of families. A spokesperson for the Spanish travel operator ABTA also worries about the consequences of the government's taxation, which might lead tourists to choose other travel destinations. “It is very important to protect the islands' environment, but imposing a tax to support environmental protection is not the wisest way.”
In recent years, due to consecutive terrorist attacks in Europe, the number of tourists in Greece and Tunisia has plummeted, and tourists have flocked to the safer Spain, causing a surge in the number of tourists in Spain. Many families dissatisfied with the tourist tax say that Spain is actually profiteering during the peak season. It is reported that the number of British tourists visiting the Balearic Islands reaches 3 million per year, including those visiting the increasingly popular Formentera. Devon, UK tourist, Lynn Taylor, said she only recently learned that the Spanish government would be imposing a tourist tax, but she had already booked a hotel in Mallorca in September last year. “If the travel agency had not sent an email to remind me, I would not have known at all,” she said. “When many people's travel plans are already set in stone, the Spanish government doing this is like pointing a gun at our heads; you can feel them counting the money.”
Spain is not the first country to impose a tourist tax. Starting from June this year, travelers to Malta will also need to pay a certain amount of tourist tax, with a maximum cap of 5 Euros.