Tomorrow (Friday) I will be interviewing the minister for tourism, Biel Barcelo. The timing couldn’t be better. The tourist tax is on everyone’s lips and I suspect that the minister will be mounting a major defence of his star policy. He will say that the Balearic government has been forced to introduce the controversial levy because of the funding dispute with Madrid. Barcelo will claim that tourist taxes exist in other parts of the world and basically one euro per day is a small charge for the enjoyment of Majorca. And he is probably right. Many other European destinations have tourist taxes and one euro a day is not a lot of money. But the big question is; why do tourists have to pay to subsidise the Balearics? In other words, visiting tourists already pay taxes in their own countries so they shouldn’t be asked to pay when they come on holiday. So there are good points on all sides. But if the Balearic government promises to spend the money sensibly on improving holiday resorts and maintaining Majorca then I feel that tourists will probably pay the tax with little fuss. Now, last time the Balearic government introduced a tax it was the Germans who came out fighting and helped to bring its early demise. Despite reports of a record summer season, there was a substantial drop in German tourists to Majorca last month. Is Majorca starting to be out of favour with the Germans? Well, if you add a tourist tax into the mix it could be a lethal cocktail.
Yes Minister
24/09/2015 00:00
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2 comments
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Barcelo is obviously on a course to destroy the tourism which indirectly but largely pays his salary. He'll cook up all sorts of reasons to justify it, I've said enough about people like him who have no brain for managing or promoting tourism from their high horse. He has no logical brain on this issue so it will be fun watching him dramatically fall off the high horse and biting the dust before the next two years are up.
"visiting tourists already pay taxes in their own countries so they shouldn’t be asked to pay when they come on holiday."Yes they should. They wouldn't dare trash their own towns and cities back home so why do they think they can here?"One euro per day is a small charge for the enjoyment of Majorca. And he is probably right."So what are you whinging about?