Latest news with #DavidCid
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's time for snobs to stop whingeing about over-tourism
The packed beaches of Spain, the £30 cocktails of the Riviera, the body-surfing required to move through a central thoroughfare in Venice or Lisbon and the crush in central London when tourist season is in full swing, which feels like always, is enough to make anyone feel murderous. Does it then follow that the tsunami of tourist taxes in Europe and here in Britain, following out-and-out Continental rebellion with Catalans and Mallorcans on the streets screaming anti-tourist slogans, the introduction of draconian curbs on Britons buying Spanish second homes, and the kind of anti-Airbnb protests in Portugal that would have made Karl Marx proud, is justified? Of course not. Controlling footfall and destruction of beautiful old places is one thing – obviously landscapes and cities must be preserved for future generations to enjoy, while also preserving enough of their working identity for residents to feel like it's still home. But what seems to be taking precedence instead is an attitude that cheap travel for the masses is terrible and must be stopped because a) cheapness is horrible and b) the masses are horrible and don't deserve to visit Barcelona or Venice. This is certainly the way that Spain seems to see things. Last week, legislation for an eyewateringly mean-spirited tourist tax was signed that will hike overnight premiums by €15 (£12.30) per night for tourists visiting Catalonia – which includes Barcelona. That is enough to make visiting the area too expensive for all but a fly-by visit for those travelling on a budget. At least a quarter of the money gained from this levy will be used for 'housing policy' – namely, to patch up holes created by incompetent economic governance. Anti-tourist tax 'is the trend at the European level,' sniffed David Cid, a parliamentary spokesperson, defending the follows months of anti-tourism activity in a country a third of whose population – despite having record rates of unemployment, dysfunctional government and a broken, low-growth economy – think there are too many tourists splashing cash in their country. In July 2024, protesters marauded through the streets of Barcelona spraying dining tourists with water. Given that Barcelona is a rip-off-prone city best of times (it's got to be my least favourite conurbation in Europe), I don't know why anyone would go in the first place, let alone in the face of such hostility. Increasingly the UK is introducing tourist taxes – Manchester already has a City Visitor Charge and Edinburgh has introduced a 5 per cent visitor levy on overnight stays. London is considering tourist tax too, plus possible charges introduced to our world-class national museum collections. But the magic of London – alluring to people in their millions from all over the world – is the free access to the likes of the British Museum and National Gallery permanent collections. And as hospitality chiefs point out, we already have higher VAT than most other countries; why make visitors suffer further? Tourist taxes are nothing new; India has long had particularly punitive ones (some of which border on the frankly insulting). Places as far afield as Bali, Okinawa (Japan), Seoul, Penang (Malaysia) and French Polynesia have a variety of measures in place to curb numbers for the sake of sustainability. The difference between these and the European ones are that they seem don't come with all those performative lashings of anti-gentrification, anti-capitalist, anti-modernity vitriol. Indeed, European anti-tourism rhetoric seems to be mostly a race to squeeze back affordable travel so that seeing Europe once again becomes the preserve of the well-to-do only. Cheap travel for the proletariat – package holidays, cruises, packed Ryanair and EasyJet flights commuting between the continent and London, to say nothing of the American circuit round Europe – is easy to turn one's nose up at. But it is arguably one of the greatest features of the post-war era. Life was so terribly dull before for most people. It had to be eked out between the familiar buildings and frustrations of whatever the town or suburb or neighbourhood one happened to be born in. Then, suddenly, those same people could get on a plane and see the world. For some of them, it was, and is, just a matter of sunshine and sangria. But for others, it was – and remains – a crucial way of opening the mind, seeing other cultures, seeing history and art preserved in castles, palaces, temples, palazzi, villas, and the great museums of the world. Then there's the fact that accessible travel has massively boosted the coffers of poor and dysfunctional countries. The way the Spanish carry on you'd think they were hosting tourists as a charity when in fact, in 2023 alone, Spain made €184bn from tourism – a whopping 12.3 per cent of GDP. Tens of thousands would be out of a job if tourism dried up - as happened during Covid when a tourist-deprived Europe yowled in pain. Here in Blighty, in 2023, tourism generated £239bn - 7 per cent of GDP. In Japan the figure is 7.1 per cent of GDP. And so on. Tourism is really, really important for both the traveller and the destination. Affordable travel – aka mass tourism – is not without problems, but its enormous benefits outweigh the challenges. As we consider slapping more pain on visitors, we should remember that the Continent's toxic mix of snootiness and anti-capitalistic ill-will can make nobody happy – and everyone poorer, financially and otherwise. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
It's time for snobs to stop whingeing about over-tourism
The packed beaches of Spain, the £30 cocktails of the Riviera, the body-surfing required to move through a central thoroughfare in Venice or Lisbon and the crush in central London when tourist season is in full swing, which feels like always, is enough to make anyone feel murderous. Does it then follow that the tsunami of tourist taxes in Europe and here in Britain, following out-and-out Continental rebellion with Catalans and Mallorcans on the streets screaming anti-tourist slogans, the introduction of draconian curbs on Britons buying Spanish second homes, and the kind of anti-Airbnb protests in Portugal that would have made Karl Marx proud, is justified? Of course not. Controlling footfall and destruction of beautiful old places is one thing – obviously landscapes and cities must be preserved for future generations to enjoy, while also preserving enough of their working identity for residents to feel like it's still home. But what seems to be taking precedence instead is an attitude that cheap travel for the masses is terrible and must be stopped because a) cheapness is horrible and b) the masses are horrible and don't deserve to visit Barcelona or Venice. This is certainly the way that Spain seems to see things. Last week, legislation for an eyewateringly mean-spirited tourist tax was signed that will hike overnight premiums by €15 (£12.30) per night for tourists visiting Catalonia – which includes Barcelona. That is enough to make visiting the area too expensive for all but a fly-by visit for those travelling on a budget. At least a quarter of the money gained from this levy will be used for 'housing policy' – namely, to patch up holes created by incompetent economic governance. Anti-tourist tax 'is the trend at the European level,' sniffed David Cid, a parliamentary spokesperson, defending the measures. This follows months of anti-tourism activity in a country a third of whose population – despite having record rates of unemployment, dysfunctional government and a broken, low-growth economy – think there are too many tourists splashing cash in their country. In July 2024, protesters marauded through the streets of Barcelona spraying dining tourists with water. Given that Barcelona is a rip-off-prone city best of times (it's got to be my least favourite conurbation in Europe), I don't know why anyone would go in the first place, let alone in the face of such hostility. Increasingly the UK is introducing tourist taxes – Manchester already has a City Visitor Charge and Edinburgh has introduced a 5 per cent visitor levy on overnight stays. London is considering tourist tax too, plus possible charges introduced to our world-class national museum collections. But the magic of London – alluring to people in their millions from all over the world – is the free access to the likes of the British Museum and National Gallery permanent collections. And as hospitality chiefs point out, we already have higher VAT than most other countries; why make visitors suffer further? Tourist taxes are nothing new; India has long had particularly punitive ones (some of which border on the frankly insulting). Places as far afield as Bali, Okinawa (Japan), Seoul, Penang (Malaysia) and French Polynesia have a variety of measures in place to curb numbers for the sake of sustainability. The difference between these and the European ones are that they seem don't come with all those performative lashings of anti-gentrification, anti-capitalist, anti-modernity vitriol. Indeed, European anti-tourism rhetoric seems to be mostly a race to squeeze back affordable travel so that seeing Europe once again becomes the preserve of the well-to-do only. Cheap travel for the proletariat – package holidays, cruises, packed Ryanair and EasyJet flights commuting between the continent and London, to say nothing of the American circuit round Europe – is easy to turn one's nose up at. But it is arguably one of the greatest features of the post-war era. Life was so terribly dull before for most people. It had to be eked out between the familiar buildings and frustrations of whatever the town or suburb or neighbourhood one happened to be born in. Then, suddenly, those same people could get on a plane and see the world. For some of them, it was, and is, just a matter of sunshine and sangria. But for others, it was – and remains – a crucial way of opening the mind, seeing other cultures, seeing history and art preserved in castles, palaces, temples, palazzi, villas, and the great museums of the world. Then there's the fact that accessible travel has massively boosted the coffers of poor and dysfunctional countries. The way the Spanish carry on you'd think they were hosting tourists as a charity when in fact, in 2023 alone, Spain made €184bn from tourism – a whopping 12.3 per cent of GDP. Tens of thousands would be out of a job if tourism dried up - as happened during Covid when a tourist-deprived Europe yowled in pain. Here in Blighty, in 2023, tourism generated £239bn - 7 per cent of GDP. In Japan the figure is 7.1 per cent of GDP. And so on. Tourism is really, really important for both the traveller and the destination. Affordable travel – aka mass tourism – is not without problems, but its enormous benefits outweigh the challenges. As we consider slapping more pain on visitors, we should remember that the Continent's toxic mix of snootiness and anti-capitalistic ill-will can make nobody happy – and everyone poorer, financially and otherwise.
The Independent
28-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Catalonia to double tourist tax in blow to holidaymakers
Visitors to Catalonia could face a tourist tax of up to €15 (£12.30) per night following new legislation signed by the government. The Spanish territory, which is home to Barcelona and the coastal region of Tarragona, is set to double the existing levy in a bid to tackle surging tourist numbers. Barcelona is expected to bear the brunt of the tax, with tourists facing a maximum of €15 (£12.40) per night, while the rest of Catalonia will only be permitted to increase the levy if they introduce a surcharge that previously only applied in the Catalan capital. At least 25 per cent of funds gathered from the tax will be allocated to housing policies. Barcelona currently charges guests in four-star hotels €5.70 (£4.70) per night, while those staying in five-star hotels are required to pay €7.50 (£6.10) Comuns parliamentary spokesperson, David Cid, said doubling the tourist tax was a proportionate and fair measure. 'A person who comes to Catalonia paying €400 or €500 for a night in a hotel can pay €7 more,' he told Spanish radio network Cadena Ser. 'We have a record number of tourists, and the new figures we are talking about for the tax do not impose any limits' [on tourism or the arrival of visitors].' He argued that similar measures 'are being proposed across Europe.' 'This is the trend at the European level,' he added. Overcrowding, strained resources like water and the increasing scarcity and cost of housing have become pressing issues across the country, especially in major cities. A 2024 YouGov study found that nearly a third of people living in Spain said there are too many foreign travellers in their country. Action against overtourism in Spain peaked in July 2024 when thousands of Barcelona residents squirted diners in tourist areas with water during a protest against mass tourism. Protesters chanted 'tourists go home' and carried placards reading 'Enough! Let's put limits on tourism'. And in November, thousands of Barcelona residents protested to demand lower housing rental conditions following growing concern about landlords switching to more lucrative, short-term rentals, and the gentrification of rent increases due to gentrification.
Local Spain
27-02-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
EXPLAINED: How and why Barcelona is doubling its tourist taxes
Holidaymakers in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia will soon have to pay double as much in tourist taxes as they already do, with higher nightly rates in particular for those staying in Barcelona. That's according to an agreement between the Catalan government and the parliamentary group Comuns, as announced on Thursday by the latter's spokesperson David Cid on Cadena Ser radio station. The possibility of doubling the rate will mean that holidaymakers staying at 5-star and luxury hotels in the Catalan capital will pay a tourist tax of at least €7 per night rather than €3.50, while those in 4-star hotels will soon have to spend an additional €3.40. Guests staying at tourist accommodation such as Airbnbs in Barcelona will be charged €4.50 as part of the new levy. Passengers on board cruise ships docked at Barcelona's port for more than 24 hours will soon pay a tax of €6; and those on cruises that stay for more than 24 hours can expect tourists taxes of €4 per night. Those staying at other accommodation, be it hostels or guesthouses or similar, will see the daily tourist tax go from €1 to €2. It's worth noting that Barcelona city already applies its own municipal surcharge of €4 per night, and that the City Council will also have the right to double this tourist tax up to €8 per night. So if you add the regional and city tourist taxes together, each guest at a 5-star or luxury hotel in Barcelona could pay an additional €15 per night. If this went ahead, it would in effect mean that Barcelona would almost quadruple its tourist tax in some cases. Outside Barcelona, the doubled tourist tax will be slightly lower. Five-star and luxury hotels will charge €6 in tourist taxes per night, 4-star hotels €2.40, tourist accommodation owners €2, and other establishments €1.20. The cruise ship tourist taxes will be the same across the whole of Catalonia, at the same rates as Barcelona. However, all municipalities across Catalonia have now also been given the go-ahead to charge their own municipal tourist taxes, whereas up to now it was just Barcelona. Therefore, the tourist taxes could be even higher everywhere across the northeastern region, from Tarragona to Sitges. Why the tourist tax increase? Cid has argued that the tax levy hike does not represent "any limit" to tourism in the context of Catalonia's record numbers of visitors, and that the measure is in line with those of other European cities such as Amsterdam or Rome. It's expected that 25 percent of the revenue generated by the new tourist taxes will be allocated to housing access policies. "I think that many Catalans are having a very hard time," Cid argued. "And I think that the tourists who visit us can make a little more effort so that we have more resources, for example, to allocate them to what is today the main problem of the country - access to housing." The agreement is set to be ratified on Thursday February 27th by Catalonia's regional minister for Economy and Finance Alícia Romero and the leader of Comuns in the Catalan Parliament, Jéssica Albiach. As could be expected, those with business interests in the region's tourism industry are not happy with the news. Catalonia's Confederation of Hotel and Restaurant Businesses (Confecat) has issued a statement expressing its opposition to the new tourist tax, referring to it as 'continued fiscal suffocation' and that the sector "is not willing to continue being the constant source of financing for the administrations". They claim "this measure threatens to destroy the competitiveness of a business network that is key to economic and social development" of the region which in 2024 received 19.9 million international tourists. For its part, the Barcelona Hotel Association has argued that "if this measure is applied, Barcelona would become the European city with the highest tourist tax in all hotel categories, above cities such as Paris and Rome (whose average hotel prices are higher than those of Barcelona)". In anticipation of a backlash from the hotel and hospitality sector, Cid stressed that this is 'a tax that is not paid by hoteliers, but by tourists', and increasing it now makes perfect sense since Catalonia is recording 'record numbers of tourists and revenue'. "A person who comes to the city of Barcelona and pays between €300 and €400 for a night in a hotel can easily pay €7 more per night," Cid argued. Overtourism has been a problem in Barcelona for over a decade, whereas in other holiday hotspots in Spain the knock-on effects of mass tourism have started to be felt more recently. Several protests took place in the Catalan capital in 2024, most headline-grabbing of all one where holidaymakers on Barcelona's Las Ramblas boulevard had water splattered on them by a small group of demonstrators wielding water pistols. Just like in many other popular cities in Spain, the impact of tourism, international popularity and gentrification on Barcelona's housing and rental market have been notable.
