Taxing situation for the Costa Blanca

THERE is talk in the air of introducing a tourist tax in the Valencian Community.

Until now this has been charged only in Cataluña, where government sources insist that it does not impact negatively on tourism and brings in an annual €40 million.

The Baleares recently announced its own tourist tax but its effects remain to be seen. Meanwhile Valencia’s Generalitat has a thriving tourist industry and badly needs extra cash having inherited an economy depleted by its predecessors.

A tourist tax ranging between 50 cents and €2.50 a day would bring in approximately €30 million a year, announced Vicent Soler who heads the regional government’s Finance department. The greatest impact would be felt on the Costa Blanca where tourists staying in one of its 300 hotels would pay an extra €16 million a year.

Critics claim that the tax would only heighten the imbalance between clandestine and registered holiday lets as it would be impossible to apply. Toni Mayor, president of the Hosbec hoteliers’ association, said that the tax “would only create more bureaucracy.” But he then added that if 90 per cent of clandestine apartments were to register the organisation would actually back the move.