British holidaymakers who wish to travel to the Balearic islands of Majorca and Ibiza next summer will not be hit with an increase in tourism tax, officials have confirmed.
The Balearic government has announced it has no plans to raise the current rates of between one and four euros a night, depending on the type of accommodation. The revenue generating fees help to combat over-tourism in holiday hot spots.
Some of the political parties which make up the government council had lodged an official request for a tax raise in the high season. But yesterday, the government set its spending limits for the year ahead and said: "No change is contemplated in the tourist tax.", reports the Mirror.
Finance minister, Rosario Sánchez said the tourist tax "is calculated as we think it will be at the end of the budget, which is in the same circumstances in which we had it until now."
The decision was taken despite forecasts that the income from the tourist tax will be lower than expected because concessions were made at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. "In 2023 it's back to normal and it will not increase in high season," said Rosario Sánchez.
However, Brits heading on Spain holidays could find themselves facing a new tourism tax in other areas, such as Seville. Spain's Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, says she is in favour of the tourist tax being enforced as long as this decision is "the fruit of dialogue" - while defending "autonomy" of town halls and communities in this matter.
"It has to be adopted on the basis of dialogue," she said.
The tourist tax is one of the proposals that the mayor of Seville, Antonio Muñoz, has put on the table, both to the Andalusian and state administration, with talks currently ongoing.
For those heading to the Balearics, there are new rules in place for holidaymakers as part of a wider crackdown on unruly tourists, affecting certain hotspots in both Majorca and Ibiza.
For example, infamous destinations like Magaluf have special measures which prohibit all sorts of "unacceptable" behaviour, including balconing, drinking in the streets and party boats.
Meanwhile a new six drink limit was introduced at all-inclusive resorts this summer, which included Brits being limited to free drinks with their meals.
Earlier this week, it was also announced that iconic clubs in Majorca and Ibiza could face closure as authorities are allocating 10 million euros to buy "low-category establishments" and will then close them down.
"We have to promote a production model that can simultaneously generate prosperity, employment and opportunities and do so by protecting the capacity of a territory and natural resources that are incompatible with excessive tourist pressure," said Balaeric president Francina Armengol.
It is not yet known which of the establishments would be targeted in the scheme.
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