Jason MoorePalma08/05/2019 20:44
TW

Scrap the tourist tax, allow short-term holiday rentals, more police in the resorts and build more infrastructure. I would say that the majority of tourists would welcome all of these proposals, but unfortunately they come from Vox, a party which is on the right of Spanish politics. I say unfortunately because it is a pity that the more mainstream parties can’t take on board some of these policies because, to be perfectly honest, they are what the tourism industry wants.

Vox have taken Spanish politics by storm and polled more than two million votes in the general election but their brand of politics is rather radical to say the least and unsavoury for many. I do not believe that there is place for radical right or left-wing parties in a modern nation. Politics should sit firmly in the centre, but I must say that Vox have thrown their hat into the ring as a pro-tourism party. Scrapping the tourist tax is a vote winner especially as this holiday season will see a fall in British and German holidaymakers who will go to cheaper destinations in the eastern Mediterranean.

But so far Vox is the only party which has said that it would remove the controversial levy while the Partido Popular, also on the right of Spanish politics but to the left of Vox, have said that they would consider very carefully whether the tax should be scrapped or not. The tax was introduced at a time when the Balearics were on the crest of the tourism wave, but those days are long gone.