Andalucia to cash in on balearic loss

Andalucia was yesterday rubbing its hands with glee over the tax, claiming that its resorts will benefit at the Balearics' expense, especially in the German market. Andalucia's Tourism Minister, Antonio Ortega, said yesterday that the tax will help the region increase its family tourism and German market, the two markets Ortega believes the tax will have a negative effect on in the Balearics. The Minister said that Andalucia has already made inroads with the German market, in some cases highlighting the fact that they do not charge a tourist tax, and the response has been positive. He admitted that the cost of tax is not particularly high, but said that it is going to have a negative effect on the Balearic market. Ortega said the fact that Balearic Tourism Minister Celesti Alomar had to go to Germany to explain the tax proves the problems it's causing. The secretary general of the Spanish Hotel Federation, Valentín Ugalde, launched a fresh attack on the tourist tax yesterday, slamming it as “discriminatory.” He said yesterday that the introduction of the levy has led to the drop in demand for the Balearics, claiming that it will continue to fall. Ugalde added that the tax will have no effect on mainland bookings “providing that no other autonomous government follows the Balearics' example and starts introducing tourist taxes.”