It is obvious to me the Government collected much more than the 30M they say they have. 750 flights daily bringing 140k people of say 60% pay the tax? Creates employment in administering it or what is going on? Slush funds?
So many pockets to line...
Sick of people saying it's expensive here. A fully equipped front-line apartment with swimmng pool, sea views and 50 metres to the beach actually costs less than some crumby caravan rental in the UK. Cigarettes, drinks and eating out are all cheaper when compared like-to-like, so stop whinging. If you have no money, stay at home.
Northern Lass, if your never coming back to Mallorca again, why are you so bothered about how the money is spent?? Surely you should be more concerned with whats going on in Greece or Turkey!
I find this article interesting, if not surprising ! I was under the impression that the tourist tax was to be used to support the ecology of the island, the things which are nothing to do with tourism but would support the maintenance of the natural state of the island. I am therefore quite shocked the some people seem to be proposing "tackling seasonality and promoting low-season and sustainable tourism". In other words, supporting a commercial organisation to make more money for itself. Bizarre ! I thought it was to put back something into the Island - for the land and the people. I paid my last visit to Mallorca in October and, I have to say, it was the most disappointing holiday I have ever had there - expensive hotels and expensive car hire. I left feeling ripped-off. :-(
Lets hope you are right S. If there are less tourists at the lower end then in my mind the tourist tax is working. I dont really care what its spent on (new cars for politicians, whatever) as long as it reduces tourist numbers. In fact I would increase the tax further.
Many Tourists I have spoken to, are not returning to Mallorca. 1.) The Tourist Tax 2.) The drop in the Euro exchange rate. 3.) Poor food at Hotels with All Inclusive tariffs. 4.) The continuing increase in prices, every January, that are passed on to the Tourist. etc. There are many more complaints, which will escalate in the future.
I would have thought a tax raised by the tourists should be used to improve things used by the tourists like the water or the roads. Obviousley the tax has been put on tourists to line the pockets of the people who are in charge of it. !!
@Phil. You're correct. Huge amounts of tourist tax has been forced on visitors to Palma Nova, but when it rains for more than 15 minutes they have to take off their shoes and socks to cross the streets. There are no push-button crossings anyhere, so tourists take their life in their hands when crossing the roads here. There's piles of dog excrement in the children's playpark area, and dogs let to run free because there are no police or park attendants.There's still a big shortage of public toilets on the beaches - and they're not free, and the free WiFi that they advertise is still hit-and miss. The list goes on.It's still Third World, and it's scandalous, - even without the tourist tax rip-off, as we also pay exhorbitant taxes to the council too don't forget.
we were in Mallorca last July and paid the tourist tax, usually we go in October during half term, but we went to Portugal for a week instead, we have booked to go to Portugal for 2017 for the same price in a 5 star hotel as one for 3 stars in Mallorca, we are in our fifties