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Credit: GettyBRITS heading for the Balearic Islands are set to face a major blow as unions push for a shock tourist tax hike.
The anti-tourist tax plan is set to see militant unions pressing for a 15 euro payment per DAY in the summer months.
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Rather than raising cash for the upkeep of the islands the CCOO (Workers’ Commission) has admitted the proposal is to deliberately deter holidaymakers from the “saturated” party islands- Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
Furious union leaders say the Balearic government is dragging it’s feet and doing nothing about over-tourism despite repeated promises to address the issue.
According to the CCO every holidaymaker should expect be charged 15 euros a day in the peak months of July and August.
However, if the annual number of partygoers falls below 14 or 15 million, Brits might not be forced to pay the anti-tourist tax.
Read more about tourist taxes
“It is not an increase with a desire to collect but a dissuasive one so that the Balearic Islands send a clear message to the world that there is no room for more people here in high season,” said CCOO general secretary for the Balearics, José Luís García.
He said the Balearic government made a commitment to increase tourist tax in 2024 at the height of mass demonstrations against over-tourism.
José believes they should stick to its pledge – with the earliest it could come in to play being 2026.
The major union is proposing 52 measures in tourism, housing, transport and the labour market within the Pact for Sustainability.
This includes reintroducing the temporary bans on tourist places, creating a public housing stock of 40,000 available homes and carrying out a study on each island.
The aim of the study is to transform the current economic and tourism model of the islands towards a more balanced, sustainable system.
An urgent meeting with the Balearic government has been called by the union as it says progress has been paralysed by heaps of unnecessary analysis.
The CCOO claim that slapping a new 15 euro a day tourist tax in the summer would not affect the arrival of tourists.
Leaders have pointed out that hotel prices have increased without slowing rates of demand and they also cite 137 other cities in Europe which apply similar rates.
They propose the additional income could be allocated for improvements in labour welfare, vocational training and housing policies.
New Tourist places are also proposed to be temporarily banned until a consensus is reached at the Social Dialogue Table.
Once again in a bid to slow down the growth of tourists hoping to live it large in high season.
The number of cruise ships arriving at island ports could also see a reduction in high season, with the union hoping to cap the number of vehicles and flights entering too.
Union representative’s want to increasing these numbers in low season, in addition to regulating the opening hours of the archipelago’s airports.
The housing crisis has been cited by the union as being the main social problem in the Balearic Islands.
It has called to cap extortionate rent prices, claiming 40,000 public homes could be created through empty flats, dispossessing the property of banks and large holders and new construction.
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
A WAVE of anti-tourist measures are being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday hotspots.
Overcrowding has become the main problem in many sunny destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.
Officials have attempted to reduce the impact of holidaymakers by implementing additional taxes on tourists, or banning new hotels.
Venice became the first city in the world to charge an entry fee for holidaymakers after it started charging day-trippers €5 (£4.30) if visiting the historical Italian centre.
It was followed by an area in Barcelona which resorted to removing a well-used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.
Meanwhile, San Sebastián in the north of Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided visits to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, nuisance and overcrowding.
The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.
The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalucia.
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am could cost a whopping £1,000.
The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charge tourists a daily tax.
Greece has already enforced a tourist tax during the high season (from March to October) with visitors expected to pay from €1 (£0.86) to €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the booked accommodation.
Officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to introduce a fee for travellers to remind people to be courteous during their trips.
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