The recently appointed head of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA) slammed the announcement that the region’s mayors have voted to introduce a ‘tourist tax.’
Joao Fernandes disagrees with the move, its timing and the chosen model, a position that he says is endorsed by the presidents of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve and the Association of Hoteliers of the Algarve.
At a meeting of the Intermunicipal Council (AMAL) in Castro Marim today, Council mayors approved the introduction of a tourist tax of €1.5 'per head per night,' to be levied between March and October, for the first seven days of an Algarve holiday.
"This is a wrong decision, which is works against tourist demand and can generate loss of competitiveness for the Algarve destination," stated the RTA leader.
According to Fernandes, the tourist tax comes at a time when there is "a strong recovery of competing destinations to the Algarve," such as Greece, Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt, with the last three" not subject to European competition rules and showing very aggressive prices,"
The president of the RTA said that the tourist tax is not comparable with the tax charged in Lisbon and Porto as these are short stay destinations, popular with couples, whereas the Algarve is a family holiday destination with extended stays."
João Fernandes expressed surprise at the fact that AMAL is not using any part of the tax to promote the region as a destination, but spending it on ill-defined local projects. He also is surprised that the tax is unlikely to be the same in each Council area, thus “generating inequalities within the region and weakening the destination as a whole."
