Balearics island planning to hike tourist tax in July and August to combat mass tourism

The owners of the 195 houses in Menorca’s ‘Mykonos’ have decided to keep access to the village open only between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm, in order to protect the village from the effects of the overcrowding that they say is caused by the more than 800,000 tourists who visit it every year, according to the owners’ association.

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On August 15, they will vote on whether to ban visitors entirely. This potential ban has sparked debate among locals. Some locals worry that a complete closure could negatively impact local businesses, and hope for a more flexible approach. The tourist tax rates across the Balearics are only charged for those over 16 years of age. People staying at luxury hotels will be charged 4€, those at a mid-range hotels/accommodation 3€, all cruise passengers and people staying in cheaper hotels, apartments and rented villas will be charged a minimum of 2€ and guests of modest hostels will pay 1€.

There are mounting calls for the tourist tax to be raised for the cruise industry. The Balearic environmental group GOB has proposed a new tax to be levied on cruise ships docking in the Balearics, similar to one that already exists in Catalonia. “They are huge consumers of fuel, water and resources and have a socio-environmental impact; cruise ships should have to pay a high tourist tax.”

Tourists who travel by cruise ship and stop over on the islands already pay the tourist tax, but GOB proposes taxing the emissions produced by shipping companies. The most polluting ship that visits Mallorca is a cruise ship and emits as much as 19,000 cars.