Meppel is on its way to introducing tourist tax

Anyone who spends the night in a hotel in Meppel or goes to the camper place with their camper does not have to pay tax to the municipality. But how much longer?

All other eleven municipalities in the province already have a tourist tax. Local politicians in Meppel are now also calling for its introduction.

Meppel is becoming more touristy. There are plans for a hotel, the Bleekerseiland peninsula will become a city park with city accommodation and the camper place has been packed lately. There is also a plan for a 60-hectare theme park, which should attract 800,000 visitors annually.

D66 thinks it might be interesting to introduce tourist tax in the municipality, so that there is more income. “Tourist activities are increasing. Isn’t it interesting to look at tourist tax?”, asks group leader Arnoud de Vos during the discussion of the budget. There is support for it from both coalition and opposition.

In 2017, the city council also discussed introducing a tourism tax. That didn’t happen then. The municipality did not have that much tourism yet, so it would not yield much.

Councilor Klaas de Vries responds that the municipality is investigating whether it can introduce this tax. “We are busy working on it.”

ttn-41