One of the few sources of support for the doubling of the tourist tax has been the unions. Immediately after Thursday's announcement of the tax increase, the CCOO said that it was a positive decision and one that would help to reduce tourism seasonality. This would be, the union explained, if revenue from the tax goes towards measures that will lower the peaks in tourist numbers in the summer and increase numbers in the winter.
Silvia Montejano, the general secretary of the CCOO's services federation in the Balearics, noted that the tourist tax hasn't meant any reduction in tourism and she felt that there won't be because of an increase in the tax.
The UGT echoes what the CCOO is saying. There has been no negative effect for the tourism sector from the tourist tax and the union is convinced that there still won't be once the tax goes up. Moreover, the tax increase will assist with tackling seasonality. Its general secretary, Alejandro Texías, observes: "Despite the criticism, the tourist tax has not diminished Balearic competitiveness as a tourist destination. Nor has it affected hotel occupancy or tourist spending in the Balearics."
Texías believes that it is necessary that tourists compensate the Balearics and the islands' residents for the consequences of their being on the islands. He is confident that general benefits from the tourist tax revenue investment will be realised. He identifies benefits for the environment, social and labour issues and training.
He singles out the changes to the tax for cruise ships for special mention. The tax will double to two euros and no longer be restricted to ships that are in port for twelve hours or longer. However, he thinks that the government is missing one source of tourist tax revenue and that is from people on private yachts that moor or anchor in Balearic ports or waters. Yachts aren't covered by the tourist tax legislation, and Texías is not the first to have identified this potential anomaly.
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Sorry, I'd rather stay in the comfort of my own home in the winter, or travel somewhere offering guaranteed warmth. Please don't take your visitors for granted.
Sorry . I will choose when and where i will holiday and i wont be dictated to just because it doesnt suit certain people Never forget , we are the customers , not allway,s right but still the customers.
If a boat is anchored ...how are these taxes going to be collected ?the police will be needed to board the boat ...how many inspectors/tax collectors are going to be zooming around in big gas consuming Zodiacs ...sounds very badly thought out ... almost manic
will the tax apply to the crew ? Captain and first mate (wife) ...children ? friends ...Schengen ? Where are these people from ....sounds like inbreeding
Can someone explain to me how they are going to get winter tourists when flights in winter are few and far between, especially from Scotland, and the North of England ?
I wouldn´t put much importnce of what Teixas and Montejano say. For a start they are mainlanders, and secondly they are doing the job they do because they are incapable of doing anything else. Run a business ? Not in a million years.
PS Sorry meant out of season nothing to offer tourists
This island has nothing to offer apart from overnight stay in Palma.No way can it compete with say Paris ,Venice,Madrid etc.Travel is difficult out of season,the airport is an embarrassment. For many years have had minimum of 8weeks in summer season,next year 4 maximum.My family always 2 weeks,this year Gran Canary,our friends 2 lots of 10 days in 4star ,next year mainland Spain.This politicians,unions are not inthe real world,by all means make things better for the workers but acknowledge where the money comes from
Boats are already taxed for being here at extortionate rate !!
It will lower the number of tourists,period. It will also lower the amount spent by those that do come by whatever the amount is that they pay just for being on holiday in Majorca. Whatever Texias is on has clearly left him seriously deranged,he thinks that,we,the tourists,should compensate Majorca for having the gall to holiday and spend our hard-earned money on Majorca,well,how about we all go somewhere where we are welcomed and wanted and Texias and the Majorcans can have their little Island all to themselves.?