It is not by chance that President Carlos Mazón chose the second day of the World Travel Market in London to stage the signing of a project that this Friday the Valencian Government must submit to Les Corts for approval: the repeal of Law 7/2022, of 16 December, fiscal measures to promote sustainable tourism; that is, the so-called tourist tax.
Both the head of the Consell and the Minister of Industry, Innovation and Tourism, Nuria Montes, wanted the British press, whose tabloids reported the approval of the law last year with their usual alarmist tone, to echo the withdrawal. And so it has been.
At the moment, the leading news portal, The Mirror, with 32 million monthly readers (data from 2021) includes the news in its travel section on Wednesday in November. Which opens precisely by registering the record of Britons looking for a "cheap" destination in Turkey.
"The attempt by a very popular Spanish destination to block a tourist tax for Britons is well advanced," headlines the Mirror, over a photo of the unmistakable Benidorm.
Carlos Mazón, "head of the Spanish region that includes the Costa Blanca," explains an article signed by Milo Boyd and Natalia Penza, "has assured British tourists that they will not have to pay extra for their holidays, saying that plans to guarantee that a tourist tax will never be introduced are 'very advanced'. The area covers tourist spots such as Benidorm and the city of Valencia."
After explaining that Mazón had previously announced his intention to eliminate the tax in his inauguration speech, the article includes some of the literal phrases that the head of the Consell pronounced in English before a group of journalists during a breakfast at who were guests at a tapas bar located next to the WTM venue.
"I am ashamed to come to London and tell tourists that they are a source of wealth and income and that they must pay for that privilege. What I want to do is come here and tell them that we love that they come, that they give us wealth and, therefore, Therefore, they are very welcome," the newspaper reports. Other websites specialized in tourism in the United Kingdom, Germany or Ireland also collect the statements of the Valencian president.
To put the news in its context, the Mirror recalls that Mazón's announcement comes several months after "the municipalities of the Valencian Community had the power to apply a surcharge of up to two euros per night to tourists", and points out that the Balearic Islands and Catalonia "are among the Spanish regions that charge tourist taxes in an attempt to cushion the impact of the enormous number of visitors they receive each summer."
The British newspaper adds that "the Spanish Basque Country is currently studying whether it will introduce the tax. Adrián Barbón, president of the region of Asturias, in the north of the country, which includes the cities of Oviedo and Gijón, opened the door to its introduction in his region earlier this year, although he indicated that city councils could decide whether to apply it or not.
Finally, the article refers to a previous one published a couple of weeks ago, following the announcement that Venice plans a daily tax: "a list of some of the most important British holiday spots with tourist taxes in force, which is worth "It's worth checking before booking a holiday as it can add a significant chunk to the price of your stay."
Among them, the Austrian cities of Vienna and Salzburg charge 3% per person to the hotel bill; some cities in Belgium, such as Bruges, charge up to 7.50 euros; and almost all the Caribbean islands apply some rate, according to information from Euronews; Croatia established it in 2019, it is very low out of season, but in summer it is 1.3 euros per person per night.
In France, always according to the Mirror, the rate is applied in some large cities, and usually ranges between 0.20 and 4 euros; German cities like Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin have 'bed' and 'culture' rates; In Greece the tax was recently implemented as part of the austerity measures imposed in the country, and is applied upon arrival at accommodation (50 cents per night in apartments and 4 euros in a 5-star hotel).
In Rome, the rate ranges from €3 to €7 per night, but some smaller cities charge more; Japan charges tourists an amount when they leave the country, just over 6 euros; in Amsterdam the tax is equivalent to 7% of the room price; In Portugal, two of the 16 municipalities of the Algarve have established a rate: in Faro, 1.5 euros per night between March and October, while cities such as Lisbon and Porto charge 2 euros per night.
