Tom Powell
MILLIONS of tourists heading to the Balearic Islands could face a new ‘green tax’ on top of their holiday costs.
The eco-tax will see visitors to Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca charged €2 a day, meaning a family of four would owe an extra €56 for a week’s holiday, or €112 for two weeks.
Holiday companies have already slated the new measure though, claiming it will ‘discourage’ tourists form visiting the islands.
The tax will reportedly vary depending on whether it is high season, the type of accommodation and the ages of those being taxed.
Biel Barcelo, vice president of the islands, said the tax is ‘absolutely necessary’ in order to conserve the ‘paradise of the Balearic archipelago’.
“It will be applied with or without the help of the Spanish state,” he said.
However, the tax – of which exact details are yet to be released – had drawn disapproval from industry leaders.
Peter Frankhauser, CEO of Thomas Cook, claims tourists will not bother with the islands if they have to pay a daily tax.
While Fred Isaac, of the Consumer Action website, told the Sunday People: “This will hurt families the most, and they already face inflated prices during school holidays.”
The Balearic Islands currently receive around 14 million tourists each year, with the majority headed for the party capital of Ibiza.
