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ARCHIVED - Valencia Region sets date to introduce tourist tax in 2023
The move will see Costa Blanca holidaymakers pay between 50 cents and two euros per night to stay in tourist accommodation from next year
British and other holidaymakers will have to pay up to two euros extra per night to stay in certain hotels, holiday apartments and campsites on the Costa Blanca with the introduction of tourist tax from 2023.
Despite huge opposition to the holiday levy, local councils in the Valencia Region - which includes popular destinations such as Alicante and Benidorm - will be able to charge tourists an additional surcharge. It's estimated the Valencian Tax (IVET) could bring in 30 million euros a year to spend on green projects.
The tax will also impact cruise passengers, who will have to stump up between 50 cents and two euros extra for overnight stays in ports. The only exemption will be minors under the age of 16, disabled people and those taking part in university events.
The surcharge will be voluntary and many popular resorts and destinations in Alicante province, including Benidorm, have already made it very clear they will "never" introduce the proposed tax, arguing it will make the region less competitive to holidaymakers.
It remains to be seen whether other popular areas such as Alicante city and Valencia choose to adopt the additional charge.
Also read: Costa Blanca pub, club and other public venue opening hours approved
A spokesperson for the Alicante province hotel industry said the tax is an attack on the industry. "Since there is no economic or tax reason to justify this initiative, we can only think that there are other political interests behind this proposal that is beyond our scope and capacity of understanding."
The tourist tax is a surcharge that, in the last few years before the Covid-19 pandemic, became popular in several European cities that were in great demand by tourists.
Basically, establishments charge a supplement for each night spent in a hotel or in tourist accommodation.
In Spain, the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza) charges tourists between 1 and 4 euros per person per night for a holiday stay, and Catalonia (Barcelona) currently charges between 0.45 and 2.25 euros per person per night.
In Valencia, the implementation of an additional overnight fee has been met with great opposition, and has long been a source of contention between the Valencian President, Ximo Puig and coalition partners Compromis and Unidas Podemos who were in favour of introducing the levy.
Employers' associations, trade unions, neighbourhood federations and university experts have all criticised the tax, and hotel employers' association, Hosbec, went so far as to accuse the regional government of "hating tourism", and joined forces with the Business Confederation of the Valencia Community (CEV) to launch an online platform called 'No to Tourist Tax', collecting signatures against the plans earlier this year.
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