President Armengol and tourism minister Biel Barceló. | T. AYUGA

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On Thursday, the Balearic government will embark upon a series of meetings with representatives from all sectors involved in the tourism industry and the unions to explain, in detail, the new tourist tax which was presented last week and is going to be introduced by the end of next year. The meetings have been called by the Balearic vice-president and minister for tourism, Biel Barcelo, and the meetings will continue next week.

The primary objective of the meetings is to listen to the opinions of business and other groups as to how they believe the funds raised by the tax should be invested. The ultimate aim is to obtain the maximum level of consensus within the tourism industry over the tax, which has been heavily criticised by the hoteliers and the majority of tourism businesses and is expected to be attacked by the Spanish secretary-of-state for tourism, the Majorcan Isabel Borrego, at the World Travel Market in London next month.