Humphrey CarterPalma31/03/2018 00:00
TW
2

A steady flow of people are getting upset over the tourist tax in the Balearics and the fact that it will double during peak season. To start with, central government cutbacks have placed an onus on the need for regional authorities to find new revenue streams and the tourist tax is one of them. And there are currently 17 countries in Europe which charge tourist taxes in various forms - including the United Kingdom.

APD air passenger duty is added to every air fare and it can range from 24 to 170 pounds, far greater than what is being charged here in the Balearics. France has had a bed tax for decades, even Holland has an accommodation tax. Look at all the port taxes which are added on cruise fares. Nobody likes taxes, but sometimes they are needed. With Madrid not giving the Balearics an honest tax return, the local authorities have to make up the shortfall in cash. Madrid works the numbers out on the standing population, they don’t take into account the financial burden put on the islands during the summer when the population more than doubles, along with a spike in cars on the roads and a serious increase in the pressure on the region’s natural resources.

Sustainable tourism comes at a price and it is money well invested by holidaymakers who genuinely love the Balearics, who want more than just sand, sea and sangria and intend to return in the future. It’s a small price to pay for beauty.