Antich calls summit to debate tourist tax

Just hours before he had called for dialogue and unity in his keynote Balearic Day speech, yesterday Balearic leader Francesc Antich said that he was willing to meet local hoteliers to discuss the controversial tourist tax which comes into force on May 1. Antich said that he would be asking all the hoteliers federations in the Balearics to attend a summit to debate the tax. “I am willing to hear any suggestions they might have,” said Antich. The hoteliers have snubbed all official Balearic government events in protest at the tax. Some local officials have called for the introduction of the controversial charge to be delayed until November 1 because of the slump in holiday bookings. But Antich insisted yesterday that May 1 would be “D-Day.”. Antich has been holding talks with a number of key hoteliers in the Balearics in an effort to gain support. Earlier this week he held a meeting with Gabriel Escarrer, Chairman of the Sol Hotel group, and one of the chief critics of the tax. Tour firms said earlier this week that hotel bookings to the Balearics have fallen by 28 percent.