Yahoo News Warning issued to holidaymakers travelling to popular European destination as 'tourist tax' doubles
Holidaymakers heading to Portugal have been warned after a hike in fees was announced.
Lisbon is one of the most popular destinations in Europe with thousands of tourists heading to the Portuguese capital each year. Anyone staying in the city over is subjected to a "tourist tax".
However, this is set to double after it was approved by the city council and is now subject to a 30 day consultation before it comes into force. The city's Mayor warned the tax will increase from €2 (£1.40) per person per night to €4 per person (£3.40) and all the revenue will go towards maintaining the city’s infrastructure - as our sister site, Wales Online, reports.
He said: “Increasing the tourist tax is fair for Lisbon residents, it is fair for the city, so it’s a decision I’ve taken, but obviously I want to do it with a great deal of consensus with those who are the most important people in the sector, from hotels to restaurants.
“I’ll always do everything I can to reduce taxes for Lisbon residents, I’ve done it with the reduction in IRS (personal income tax), which we’re already at 4.5 per cent and, by the end of the mandate, we’ll reach five per cent – but at the same time tourists have to contribute more to our city.”
The Amarante Municipal has also started imposing a new tourist tax as of April 2024, with tourists being required to pay €2 during the high season and €1 during the low season. According to the government’s official newspaper, the fee is expected to generate revenue that will later be used for activities related to tourist activities that are promoted by the Municipality of Amarante.
The Municipal Tourist Tax will be €2 per night between April 1 and September 30, while in the period between October and March, during which tourist numbers are lower, overnight stays in the Municipality will cost €1. The revenue generated by tourist tax has already been approved to be allocated for the country’s tourism infrastructure.
In April, the cruise taxes also started being implemented, requiring cruise passengers disembarking in Lisbon to pay €2. According to the Lisbon City Council, this tourist tax is charged “per passenger who disembarks from a cruise ship in transit, at the cruise ship terminals located in Lisbon”, with the amount being applied to the sale, regardless of whether the passengers stay in the night for one or more nights.
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