Holidaymakers heading to Spain will be hit with new tourist taxes despite pleas for the levies to suspended so resorts can bounce back from the impact of the pandemic. The Valencia region is the latest to announce plans to introduce the charge for all tourists and it will also apply to cruise visitors.
The Valencian government wants to introduce the tax from next year which would see tourists pay a fee for each night they stay with rates up to two euros per night. It will affect holidaymakers heading to UK favourite Benidorm, the city of Valencia, the Costa Blanca and other popular tourist spots.
The rule was approved this week but will be a blow for businesses struggling to claw back lost revenue following lockdowns and Covid travel restrictions. However, it will be up to each individual municipality to decide if it wants to implement the charge.
It will apply to any passenger who is staying in hotels, tourist accommodation, rural houses, campsites and hostels. Anyone arriving on a cruise ship in the region will also be subject to the levy whether or not they are staying overnight.
Charges will vary from 50 cents per night for guests at campsites and hostels to two euros for clients staying in 4-star and 5-star hotels. Cruise ship tourists will pay 1.50 euros per night. A two-week trip to Benidorm could cost a family of four an extra £94 on arrival.
Other regions in Spain already charge a a tourist tax. The Balearic Islands of Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera are charged the Sustainable Tourism Tax which varies from 84p to £3.35 per night depending on the standard of accommodation.
Barcelona and the Costa Brava, which includes resorts like Lloret and Sitges, have levied a tourist tax for almost a decade. It only applies for a maximum seven nights and children under 16 are exempt.
Fees in the city of Barcelona range from one euro a night for basic accommodation to 3.50 euros for five-star hotels. Cruise ship passengers are charged three euros per night for stays of more than 12 hours with a one euro levy for visits of less than 12 hours.
All guests must pay a 1.50 extra city levy on top of tourist taxes. Meanwhile, rates for the rest of the Catalonia region (Costa Brava) range from 60 cents for basic venues to three euros a night for highest rated hotels.
Many tourists have complained they were unaware of the extra charges before arrival in resorts.
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