ELECTION FOUGHT OVER TOURIST TAX

T HE President of the Majorcan Hoteliers Associations, Pedro Cañellas, said that the local elections this month would be fought over the controversial tourist tax introduced by the Balearic government a year ago. “It is obvious that the tax will have an affect on the polls because it has had such a negative affect on tourism,” he said, adding that he suspected there could be a backlash against the Balearic government. Cañellas has always opposed the tax, claiming that it could ruin the tourist industry.
The one euro a day surcharge was introduced to raise money which would then be spent on improving resorts and helping other key industries in the Balearics. But Cañellas said that the tourist industry was in crisis and it was not just the hoteliers who were suffering but the tour operators and bar and restaurant owners. The leader of the Majorcan Hoteliers Association said that the local government were obviously proud of the tourist tax because it was plastered across all their election material. According to Cañellas the tax was the worst thing they had ever done.