Editorial: The tourist tax

Without tourism we are nothing, this phrase has been used many times in the Balearics and ofcourse it is true. The millions of tourists who visit us every year ensure that the local economy remains on track. But now the new protest party, Podemos, wants to re-introduce the now infamous tourist tax which will mean that every holidaymaker who comes to the islands will have to pay a levy. This tax has already been tried before and proved to be a major disaster and led to thousands of angry and once loyal tourists going elsewhere. It is complete madness to try and tax tourists, when they are really our only source of revenue. Also, while the tax will be small, probably about one per day, it blasts a clear message and could make some tourists feel unwelcome. Now, Podemos is being tipped to a win a large number of seats in the local elections next month and they could form part of a coalition government with the socialists with the ruling Partido Popular fail to secure a majority. The announcement by Podemos yesterday will have got the alarm bells ringing within the tourist industry. The islands are already facing stiff competition from competing resorts in the eastern Mediterranean and to say that the tourist industry is price sensitive would be a major under-statement. The last thing we need at the moment is talk of a levy which will just tax the people who really we should be welcoming with open arms.