Palma tourists face proposed €4-a-day tourist tax rise
Tourists staying in Palma could pay up to €4 more per person for each day of their stay under a proposal tabled on 10 September. Unidas Podemos wants Palma City Council to gain the power to add its own charge to the tourist tax, officially called the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS). The party has filed a motion asking the full council to back the change in the reform of Palma’s Capital City Law.
The proposed charge would not take effect automatically. Palma would first need the legal power to decide through a local tax ordinance whether to introduce it, how much to charge and under what conditions.
Palma would control any extra charge
Lucía Muñoz, Unidas Podemos’ councillor in Palma, says the plan responds to the city’s position as the Balearic capital, high tourism pressure and its large temporary population. She says this puts direct strain on municipal services and infrastructure, including mobility, cleaning, public spaces and transport.
Muñoz argues that the costs should not fall mainly on people living in Palma. Her party says the city needs more ways to raise money if it is to deal with the extra demands linked to tourism.
Party wants more tourism money kept in Palma
Unidas Podemos says a higher ITS charge would keep a greater share of tourism-linked income in Palma. It points to neighbourhood and public-space improvements, stronger cleaning and public transport, housing policies, measures against tourist overcrowding and action on the climate emergency as areas for funding.
José María García, the party’s MP in the Balearic Parliament, has also proposed allowing Mallorca’s island council and Palma City Council to set such charges. If both the Consell de Mallorca and Palma introduce one, only Palma’s municipal charge would apply inside the city.
The tourist-tax proposal is among wider amendments to the Capital City Law reform, covering housing, mobility, language, culture, equality, diversity and sustainability. The council now has to decide whether to support adding the power to the legislation.
Topics: Environment · Tourism · Politics · Palma
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com