Latest news with #SustainableTourismTax
Local Spain
21-05-2025
- Local Spain
How much will a holiday in Spain cost this summer?
Although Spain is historically seen as a cheap country, the reality is that prices have skyrocketed in the last few years, just like many other places and it may not seem like quite the bargain you may be expecting anymore. According to recent local news reports, prices doubled year-on-year in several parts of the country. Inflation and price hikes threaten to make this summer the most expensive in Spain in history. The average cost for a week-long holiday in Spain in August 2024 was €1,323. The most expensive provinces were Cádiz, Barcelona and A Coruña, while Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Murcia and Granada were the cheapest. It doesn't mean that you won't be able to find cheaper deals, but as summer is high season and Spaniards also take long holidays in their country during this period, demand and prices are generally high. In fact, in 2024 CPI index data showed that it was cheaper to take a summer holiday overseas for people in Spain than in their own country. To avoid being shocked by the current prices, here's a breakdown of what you can expect. Accommodation So far this year, hotels and guesthouses have increased by 23.1 percent in Spain and by 13.5 percent just between April and May. For example, a night in one of Granada's most touristy area costs an average of around €300 a night, while a week on the coast around Motril costs between €1,800 - €2,000. Major hotel chains such as Meliá, Barceló, Riu, and Iberostar anticipate another historic summer due to rising bookings and prices. They have boosted their sales by over 10 percent for the upcoming high season from June to September. Flights and package holidays Package holidays within Spain have increased by 2.7 percent year-on-year, while domestic flights have also shot up by 21.3 percent within the last year and by 16.5 percent between April and May. Eating out Dining out has become more in expensive in Spain too, so you might notice that order tapas or going for a paella on the beach will cost you more than in previous years. According to Spain's Consumer Price Index (CPI), costs of eating out in restaurants rose by 4.2 percent since March last year. And the cost of the fixed three-course lunch (menú del día) increased by an average of 6.1 percent in the last year. Tourist taxes The Balearic Islands have introduced a new Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS). Prices are to rise from €4 per night to a maximum of €6 a night per person. For a two-week break this could mean an extra €70 per couple. Cruise passengers visiting the Balearics between June and August, will see their tourist tax tripled from €2 to €6 for each night they stay. Tenerife is now charging extra tourist taxes for those visiting natural areas such as Teide National Park, Anaga Rual Park and Teno Rural Park. Galicia and Asturias have both authorised tourist taxes for those that stay in the region, but it is up to each municipality to decide whether they will charge it or not. So if you're looking to holiday here, you should do your research to find out whether the place you're staying is going to charge it or not. Alicante has also increased the entrance fee to its castle and municipal museums. Car hire Car hire may be set to get more expensive too as the Balearic Islands have introduced a new levy based on emissions. This could range from an extra €30 to €80 extra. There is some good news, however, as gasoline prices have gone down by 11.7 percent in the last year and diesel fuel by 9.9 percent
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Daily Record
Holidaymakers to Majorca face new £70 fee and strict entry rules this summer
Tourists heading to the sunny beaches of Majorca this year are facing an ever growing mountain of red tape, new rules and fees, with local activists pushing for higher taxes on tourists and holiday rental owners. And those travelling to the Spanish island during peak summer season should also budget an extra £70 for their trip. The extra cash needed applies if holidaymakers are planning to stay for two weeks and is due to the Sustainable Tourism Tax. The tax, which adds an additional £5 per night to hotel bills, has soared to 2000 per cent as Majorca's government struggles with the impact of over tourism on local services, which has led to several vocal protests from locals. Just last year, beachgoers found themselves greeted by campaigners waving signs urging them to "go home." Majorca has been ranked as one of the most over-visited tourist destinations in the world, as the island welcomes well over 50 million people each year despite having a population of less than one million. Paris, the capital of France and Zante in the Greek Islands also ranked high on the list of over-visited spots. Amidst the urgency to tackle the strains of exploding visitor numbers, the island's politicians are also in the middle of considering placing a tax on car rentals - which could range from £25 to £67 depending on the length of the holiday, the Express reports. British tourists will also now be required to supply extensive personal information when booking their stay or hiring a vehicle. This information will then be passed onto the Ministry of Interior in Spain for national security reasons. What information will Spanish authorities require? Brits travelling to Spain for their holidays will need to be ready to supply personal data regarding their: Gender identity Nationality Date of birth UK address Payment details Landline and mobile phone numbers Relationship to any children under 14 that they are travelling with One holiday goer heading to Majorca, said: "In view of these increased travelling complexities. I think there will be no further need for Anti-Protesting Groups. These new regulatory requirements will stop the British from holiday travel. "Even more regulations are due to be applied. So, perhaps a return to staycations will prosper." To make matters worse, Brits are also facing a lengthier and more difficult time trying to get to Majorca and other European holiday spots, amid the increasing challenges after Brexit. One of the main issues from travellers are the rules around valid passports as those with the old pre-Brexit burgundy passport face different rules when travelling into some EU countries. Many Brits who received their passport before September 2018 were granted up to 10 years and nine months of validity before having to apply for a new one. But since UK passport holders are now classified as "third country nationals," the rules for entering the EU have changed. To be allowed entry, passports must have been issued within the past 10 years or else face being told to go home when they arrive in the country. Additionally, it is also mandatory that these passports remain valid for three months beyond the expected return date. With the UK no longer part of the Schengen Zone, British travellers are also limited to stays of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period.
The Independent
10-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Holidaymakers in Balearics will need to budget up to £70 in tourist taxes for fortnight break following hikes
Holidaymakers headed for Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca this summer face increased tourist taxes and a levy on hire cars as the government moves to control tourism. The Balearic Islands government proposed new 'tourism containment measures' to regulate rental accommodation on Friday (7 March). Under the plans, Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) is set to rise from €4 (£3.36) to a maximum of €6 (£5) per person, per night in high season. The levy will apply at four different rates between March and December, with January and February exempt from the charge. An increase from 66 per cent to 200 per cent will depend on the category of the property during June, July and August. The lowest accommodation rate increases from €1 (84p) to €2.5 (£2.10) per night in the summer months. This increase could mean that couples planning a fortnight getaway to Mallorca, Ibiza, or Menorca during the peak months will need to budget an extra €70 (£59), bringing the total to €84 (£70.43). Cruise ship passengers docking in the Balearics will pay €6 (£5) per night – triple the previous price of just €2 (£1.68). Tourists may also have to pay more for hire cars, with a new fee being considered based on emissions and the time spent on the islands ranging from €30 (£25) to €80 (£67). The government has also proposed the banning of new tourist accommodations in residential apartment buildings. Booking sites will be required to log the registration number of rental accommodations before promoting them to tourists, with fines for advertising unlicensed properties on holiday rental platforms rising to €500,000 (£420,000). The Balearic government will now negotiate the proposals for approval in parliament. It said that the set of measures is 'aimed at managing and ensuring the sustainability of tourism in the Autonomous Community'. The proposals come following a wave of overtourism protests across Spain last summer. In October, a Mallorcan political party announced plans to 'degrow' tourism on the Balearic Islands with a 40 per cent cut on tourist accommodation. Més per Majorca proposed strict new measures to the Balearic government to significantly reduce tourist numbers on the popular set of Spanish islands. In a 'regressive policy', the proposal to parliament outlined a 40 per cent reduction in tourist housing alongside an annual cap on the number of holidaymakers permitted to visit the islands. The group said that the weight of tourism on the economy is 'excessive' and insisted that tourist numbers have exceeded capacity.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Majorca plans to ‘ditch British tourists' – but will it work?
In a new 350-page 'sustainability pact' document, the Balearic government has outlined plans to 'reduce dependence on traditional tourist markets, specifically Germany and the UK'. The government of Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera has also announced plans to increase the Sustainable Tourism Tax on the island to up to €6 (£5) per night in peak months. According to the proposals, holiday vehicles on the islands will be taxed up to €80 depending on the length of stay. Unveiling the island group's sustainable tourism strategy, President Marga Prohens said that the island must 'abandon strategies based on high volumes and low prices'. However, the stated desire to reduce a dependence on British holidaymakers has led to concern in the UK. Our favourite holiday islands have now put it in pen and ink that they want fewer British tourists coming through the door. As the Balearic Islands' second-most loyal visitors (after the Germans), it is important for us to understand: why? Some have taken this rather personally. A number of British regional news sites and tabloid papers say the islands are planning to 'ditch British holidaymakers' and today's news about rising taxes will only sour things further. Could it be that there is a snobbish undertone behind the idea of 'reducing dependence' on British holidaymakers? I can certainly see how it's interpreted this way. Central to the Balearic Islands' plan is to pivot towards a higher-end tourism strategy, focusing on superior standards on a smaller scale. The insinuation, therefore, is that the pervading low-end mass tourism model is intertwined with the desires of the British holidaymaker. Like pie and mash, or sangria and roast beef, the two come as one. But perhaps this is just a statement of fact. Unchecked tourist development over many decades, and the British public's insatiable appetite for affordable beach breaks, have indeed created a landscape where cheap and cheerful Britishness is deeply ingrained in some resort towns across the Balearic Islands. Many of us will have witnessed this while abroad. Vests with 'Keep Calm and Drink Lager' written on them, restaurants advertising Premier League football, Union flags adorning 'British-owned' bars. Tourism accounts for nearly half of the island group's GDP, but now, it appears, they want a different sort of tourism. If they do want their loyal British market to be a part of that, this hasn't been communicated terribly clearly. It isn't the first time that a Spanish island has appeared to call last orders a long relationship with the British public. In 2023, Lucia Escribano, Majorca's director of tourism, said the island would not be promoting travel for summer 2023 because it was 'not interested in having… budget tourists from the UK – and we don't care if they go [instead] to Greece and Turkey'. Other Spanish islands have alluded to similar strategies. In 2023, María Dolores Corujo, Lanzarote's president, said the island must seek 'higher-quality holidaymakers who spend more when they're here' – French, Italian and Dutch tourists were singled out as target markets. Britain, alas, was not. Recent moves to scrap the 'golden visa' scheme that fast-tracked Spanish citizenship for British property owners felt like the final nail in the coffin. The messaging is clear: we are no longer wanted… right? Perhaps we ought to move out of the sun, have a tall, icy glass of water and look at the situation with a cooler head. Anna Nicholas, The Telegraph's Balearics expert, has her ear close to the sand on these sorts of things, and rejects the idea that there's any sort of targeted anti-British sentiment in the Balearics. 'I think it's about not putting all their eggs in a few baskets. Majorca relies very much on these two leading markets and frankly, always will, but it wants to diversify too,' she explains. Together, British and German tourists make up around two thirds of all tourists arriving in Majorca per year. 'There is absolutely no snobbish, anti-British tourist sentiment, although yobbish behaviour from a minority is frowned on,' Nicholas adds. In 2023, the Balearics government unveiled plans to fine holidaymakers €36,000 (£31,000) if they were found guilty of the highly dangerous act of balconing (jumping off a balcony into a pool). Some resorts popular with British visitors have introduced a six-drink daily cap. 'I am in constant touch with those in the tourist industry here and they covet British audiences,' says Nicholas, who lives on the island. 'There's a longstanding relationship between the UK and Majorca. It's more about upping the quality of visitor and dismissing the pile-'em-high kind of tourism that used to be the case in the likes of Magaluf or Arenal.' The process of moving away from a reliance on British markets may already be underway. 'We have an increasing number of Americans visiting Majorca with direct flights from NYC,' says Nicholas. 'There has been talk for some time of US hubs expanding to incorporate Washington DC, Miami, LA and Chicago, but nothing thus far. Last summer, when I visited hotels island-wide, I noticed an increasing number of American, Canadian and even Australian and Asian visitors.' To understand the latest messaging from the Balearic government, we ought to look at the wider context. The Balearic Islands are among the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, attracting more than 15 million visitors per year. But decades of tourism growth and the relentless rise of self-catering accommodation platforms such as Airbnb have changed the fabric of the islands. As a result, the Balearics have been at the epicentre of a wave of mass tourism protests. Last year alone, demonstrators occupied multiple beaches in Majorca, prevented tourist access to popular coves, and marched in their thousands in Palma de Majorca to call for more sustainable tourism. Similar protests have occurred across the Canary Islands and on mainland Spain. Alongside the plans to reduce dependence on British tourists, on March 7 the Balearic government outlined a range of new taxation measures. The Sustainable Tourism Tax will range from €1-6 per night depending on the time of the year, and a new tax on cruise ships will see passengers paying between €2 and €6 per night. Along with a new vehicle tax, there are plans in the offing to ban tourist cars from driving through certain towns that are particularly affected by traffic congestion. The Balearic government is also taking measures to ban new tourist accommodation in multi-family residential homes, and aims to clamp down on illegal self-catering rentals by increasing fines of up to €500,000. Looking ahead to a busy summer season, the Balearic government will hope that this suite of measures will bring about meaningful change across the islands. They will also hope to show demonstrators that they are listening, and taking tangible strides to improve things on the islands. But next time they might want to spell it out that British loyalists do form part of those plans, in some capacity. Like sunburnt shoulders, or a frontal lobe after a night on the town, it turns out we can be rather sensitive about these things. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Telegraph
07-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
The truth behind Majorca's plans to ‘ditch British tourists'
In a new 350-page 'sustainability pact' document, the Balearic government has outlined plans to 'reduce dependence on traditional tourist markets, specifically Germany and the UK'. The government of Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera has also announced plans to increase the Sustainable Tourism Tax on the island to up to €6 (£5) per night in peak months. According to the proposals, holiday vehicles on the islands will be taxed up to €80 depending on the length of stay. Unveiling the island group's sustainable tourism strategy, President Marga Prohens said that the island must 'abandon strategies based on high volumes and low prices'. However, the stated desire to reduce a dependence on British holidaymakers has led to concern in the UK. Our favourite holiday islands have now put it in pen and ink that they want fewer British tourists coming through the door. As the Balearic Islands' second-most loyal visitors (after the Germans), it is important for us to understand: why? Anti-British snobbishness? Some have taken this rather personally. A number of British regional news sites and tabloid papers say the islands are planning to 'ditch British holidaymakers' and today's news about rising taxes will only sour things further. Could it be that there is a snobbish undertone behind the idea of 'reducing dependence' on British holidaymakers? I can certainly see how it's interpreted this way. Central to the Balearic Islands' plan is to pivot towards a higher-end tourism strategy, focusing on superior standards on a smaller scale. The insinuation, therefore, is that the pervading low-end mass tourism model is intertwined with the desires of the British holidaymaker. Like pie and mash, or sangria and roast beef, the two come as one. But perhaps this is just a statement of fact. Unchecked tourist development over many decades, and the British public's insatiable appetite for affordable beach breaks, have indeed created a landscape where cheap and cheerful Britishness is deeply ingrained in some resort towns across the Balearic Islands. Many of us will have witnessed this while abroad. Vests with 'Keep Calm and Drink Lager' written on them, restaurants advertising Premier League football, Union flags adorning 'British-owned' bars. Tourism accounts for nearly half of the island group's GDP, but now, it appears, they want a different sort of tourism. If they do want their loyal British market to be a part of that, this hasn't been communicated terribly clearly. It isn't the first time that a Spanish island has appeared to call last orders a long relationship with the British public. In 2023, Lucia Escribano, Majorca's director of tourism, said the island would not be promoting travel for summer 2023 because it was 'not interested in having… budget tourists from the UK – and we don't care if they go [instead] to Greece and Turkey'. Other Spanish islands have alluded to similar strategies. In 2023, María Dolores Corujo, Lanzarote's president, said the island must seek 'higher-quality holidaymakers who spend more when they're here' – French, Italian and Dutch tourists were singled out as target markets. Britain, alas, was not. Recent moves to scrap the 'golden visa' scheme that fast-tracked Spanish citizenship for British property owners felt like the final nail in the coffin. The messaging is clear: we are no longer wanted… right? A need to diversify Perhaps we ought to move out of the sun, have a tall, icy glass of water and look at the situation with a cooler head. Anna Nicholas, The Telegraph 's Balearics expert, has her ear close to the sand on these sorts of things, and rejects the idea that there's any sort of targeted anti-British sentiment in the Balearics. 'I think it's about not putting all their eggs in a few baskets. Majorca relies very much on these two leading markets and frankly, always will, but it wants to diversify too,' she explains. Together, British and German tourists make up around two thirds of all tourists arriving in Majorca per year. 'There is absolutely no snobbish, anti-British tourist sentiment, although yobbish behaviour from a minority is frowned on,' Nicholas adds. In 2023, the Balearics government unveiled plans to fine holidaymakers €36,000 (£31,000) if they were found guilty of the highly dangerous act of balconing (jumping off a balcony into a pool). Some resorts popular with British visitors have introduced a six-drink daily cap. 'I am in constant touch with those in the tourist industry here and they covet British audiences,' says Nicholas, who lives on the island. 'There's a longstanding relationship between the UK and Majorca. It's more about upping the quality of visitor and dismissing the pile-'em-high kind of tourism that used to be the case in the likes of Magaluf or Arenal.' The process of moving away from a reliance on British markets may already be underway. 'We have an increasing number of Americans visiting Majorca with direct flights from NYC,' says Nicholas. 'There has been talk for some time of US hubs expanding to incorporate Washington DC, Miami, LA and Chicago, but nothing thus far. Last summer, when I visited hotels island-wide, I noticed an increasing number of American, Canadian and even Australian and Asian visitors.' An anti-tourist backlash To understand the latest messaging from the Balearic government, we ought to look at the wider context. The Balearic Islands are among the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, attracting more than 15 million visitors per year. But decades of tourism growth and the relentless rise of self-catering accommodation platforms such as Airbnb have changed the fabric of the islands. As a result, the Balearics have been at the epicentre of a wave of mass tourism protests. Last year alone, demonstrators occupied multiple beaches in Majorca, prevented tourist access to popular coves, and marched in their thousands in Palma de Majorca to call for more sustainable tourism. Similar protests have occurred across the Canary Islands and on mainland Spain. Alongside the plans to reduce dependence on British tourists, on March 7 the Balearic government outlined a range of new taxation measures. The Sustainable Tourism Tax will range from €1-6 per night depending on the time of the year, and a new tax on cruise ships will see passengers paying between €2 and €6 per night. Along with a new vehicle tax, there are plans in the offing to ban tourist cars from driving through certain towns that are particularly affected by traffic congestion. The Balearic government is also taking measures to ban new tourist accommodation in multi-family residential homes, and aims to clamp down on illegal self-catering rentals by increasing fines of up to €500,000. Looking ahead to a busy summer season, the Balearic government will hope that this suite of measures will bring about meaningful change across the islands. They will also hope to show demonstrators that they are listening, and taking tangible strides to improve things on the islands. But next time they might want to spell it out that British loyalists do form part of those plans, in some capacity. Like sunburnt shoulders, or a frontal lobe after a night on the town, it turns out we can be rather sensitive about these things.
