Every summer, the archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, east of the Spanish mainland, receives millions of tourists, far more than the infrastructure can handle. Given the influx of visitors, the largest Spanish trade union CCOO proposed during a conference on Thursday, October 23, to drastically increase the tourist tax – which has been in force since 2016 – from 4 to 15 euros per person and per night in July and August.
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“This is not a price increase intended to increase revenues, but a deterrent,” CCOO chairman José Luís García told the newspaper. Ultima Hora. For a family of four, the total amount can amount to more than 300 euros per week. “There is no longer room to receive more visitors here in the high season,” the man believes.
A total of 52 measures submitted
The proposal comes after the Balearic Islands parliament rejected a bill earlier this week to double the existing tourist tax and is part of a plan of 52 measures submitted by the union. Furthermore, the construction of new hotels would also be temporarily suspended, while priority is given to the gradual modernization of existing facilities.
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Palma de Mallorca had already introduced a ban on the construction of new tourist accommodations in 2022. Other measures include increasing mandatory consumption of local products in hotels and reducing the carbon footprint of tourism activities. The aim is to stimulate tourism with an eye for the environment and the local community.