Alex Trelinski
THE Balearic Islands government has announced its plans to reduce tourist saturation including a raft of new or increased taxes.
The proposals unveiled on Friday include a big rise in the Tourist Tax between June and August; a hike in cruise ship taxes; and banning new tourist rentals in multi-family homes.
The measures will still need to be approved by the regional parliament.
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One of the key planks of the plans will be raising the Tourist Tax in the peak season, but abolishing it altogether in January and February.
It means the tax during the summer would go up from €1 to €2.50 per night in the lower range and from €4 to €6 in the highest accommodation bracket.
Cruise ships deciding to stay in the Balearics would see charges rise from €2 to €6 per passenger per night.
An income tax reduction of up to €250 per year is also proposed for Balearic residents who book a holiday break in the islands.
A brand new tax would be levied on cars to be spent on public transport investments and to reduce emissions.
This would in effect apply to cars that are used on a temporary basis for less than six months a year as de- factor rental vehicles which do not appear in non-tourist vehicle registries.
The tax charged would depend on emissions and the amount of time spent on the roads, but the proposed rate would be between €30 and €80.
Another government proposal is the banning of new tourist accommodation within multi-family homes as well as raising the quality thresholds for existing tourist rooms.
The quality requirements for the renovation of existing holiday flats and homes will be raised.
There will also be a legal obligation for online holiday accommodation sites to include the regional registration number of any tourist property rentals.
Online portals and property owners will be held responsible for breaking the law with a 25% increase in fines which will go up to €500,000.
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Taxes like these won’t work, unless accompanied by targets/ limits.
Far better to decide on how many tourists they want and when, then invite all airlines and shipping companies to apply for a quota – which if exceeded results in hefty fines. Should be simple in island tourist hotspots.