Hotel sector to talk tourist tax

Next week the Balearic government and the hotel sector are to finally sit down and discuss the proposed tourist tax, but yesterday, hoteliers called on the government to act “responsibly” during negotiations. Both parties are hoping that they can reach agreement over a “valid” tourist tax proposal, but so far the hotel sector has objected to the tax. Yesterday the President of the Majorcan Hotel Federation, Ignacio Esteve, said that the future of the tourist tax is something the whole of Balearic society should be involved in “not just a group of business people and the government.” “We have got to find solutions using a certain degree of co-operation,” he added. Since the tax was first mooted, the hotel sector has wanted nothing to do with the levy and has expressed its disapproval because there is widespread concern that the tax will have a negative effect on the Balearic economy and tourist industry and that, with the help of the government, hoteliers want to avoid.