As of today, the city of Porto has introduced a €2 tourist tax applicable to all overnight stays for up to seven consecutive days and for everyone over the age of 13.
Reports admit the levy is coming in under a shower of criticism.
It is also coming in on the same day that hotels nationally are celebrating 2017 as an “historic year” for occupation levels.
The 71% across-the-board saw some areas getting even higher results: Madeira, for example, saw occupation levels at 83%, Lisbon: 80%; Porto: 76%.
Thus Porto council’s decision to bring in what local hoteliers consider to be an excessive tourist tax has taken the wind out of some of today’s euphoria.
Rodrigo Pinto, president of APHORT, the association of Portuguese hoteliers, says the levy could see a family of three people (with a child over the age of 13) find a three-day stay of €55 per day increase by €18 which, he said, is “a significant amount”.
Indeed, APHORT fears the tax could put people off booking congresses in Porto – a city that “wants to affirm itself as a congress venue”.
And it asks what should hoteliers do if a tourist simply refuses to pay the tax at the end of his or her stay?
The terms of the levy exempt people travelling for health reasons, as are any tourists coming visiting the city for a day-trip.
This last aspect has further upset critics who maintain that a tourist tax should tax all tourists, not just the ones that stay overnight.
Justifying the move – which will bring in an estimated €6 million per year – mayor Rui Moreira has said revenue will be used to “mitigate the impact of the touristic footprint” on Porto.
“We have a touristic footprint in terms of habitation, cleanliness and mobility”, he explained. “So we will use the income to mitigate the impact it has on citizens”.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
