European island with an additional fee for tourists. It will enter into force in the middle of the year
It seems that the Portuguese island of Madeira will soon introduce a tourist tax, which will make holidays there more expensive. Check what fees we are talking about.
In 2024, the authorities of many countries will introduce fees for tourists, which are intended to slightly reduce the number of visitors, but also to additionally support the local economy and take care of the areas visited by travelers. Such places include, among others: Venice, which is already testing fees. It turns out that Madeira will also introduce a tourist tax.
Madeira introduces a tourist tax
From the second half of 2024, Madeira municipalities will collect a tourist tax of €2. The changes were announced by the president of the Association of Municipalities of Autonomous Regions (AMRAM), Pedro Calado.
“We assumed that we should charge €2 per person per night, excluding children under 13 years of age and adults with health problems,” he added.
The president of AMRAM explained that charging the fee should come into force only in the second half of this year, taking into account that this process must go through several local government bodies and be subject to public discussion.
On the other hand, it is necessary to create an appropriate IT system that will enable connection with all tourist units – hotels, rented apartments and agritourism establishments.
A commission of 2.5% is provided for hotel facilities, the remaining amount is transferred to the municipalities.
What will the money be spent on?
“Each municipal council will use the tax depending on what is specified in its regulations, but it is widely believed that this use should always be based on environmental sustainability, tourism promotion issues, protection of green spaces and tourism development,” explained Pedro Calado.
Tourist tax will be collected from foreign tourists, but also from residents. The Madeira authorities estimate that they will raise EUR 10 million this way.
