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ARCHIVED - Bad publicity: Spain tourist tax could cost lead to losses of 60 million on the Costa Blanca
Alicante Federation of Commerce warns adverse publicity over the controversial tax is putting off UK holidaymakers
Hot on the heels of a record Easter tourism turnover on the Costa Blanca, Alicante Federation of Commerce and SMEs (FACPYME) is warning that the sector will be dealt a devastating blow with the introduction of the controversial tourist tax which it claims is already putting off holidaymakers, in particular the British.
There is growing opposition to regional government plans to introduce a voluntary tourist tax from 2023, with many popular destinations in Alicante province having already made it clear they will "never" introduce the measure, including Benidorm.
The tax, where adopted, will see holidaymakers having to fork out between 50 cents and two euros per night to stay in hotels, holiday apartments and campsites in the region from next year.
Also read: Easter tourism boost returns to Spain
Hotel employers' association Hosbec has gone so far as to accuse the government of "hating tourism", claiming the measures will make the region less competitive.
And now FACPYME has warned of potential losses for Alicante province's hotel and catering trade and commerce of between 14.9 and 59.8 million euros a year, taking into account that overnight stays in the province reached 29,904,648 in 2019, and that the new tax "poses an extra expense for tourists":
"Families plan their holidays with a fixed spending forecast, so if the loss of purchasing power caused by the rise in prices is added to an extra expense such as the tourist tax, the consequence may be lower consumption in commercial and hotel establishments, since they have to devote part of that budget to pay the tax," explained FACPYME president, Carlos Baño.
"The tax is already causing bad publicity in the media, particularly in the UK, the main tourist source market on the Costa Blanca, it's scaring off the British. This situation must be corrected, Alicante province does not deserve bad publicity due to a bad government decision," he added.
Facpyme has also expressed "disbelief" over the timing of the introduction of a tax on tourism, on the back of a crippling pandemic aggravated by rising energy and household bills and the war in Ukraine.
"What logic dictates we put sticks in the wheel of recovery with a new tax that directly attacks sectors such as trade and hospitality? We have experienced a very positive Easter Week in terms of occupancy and influx of tourists, and with good prospects for the summer. This is not the time to spoil this trend for next year," concluded Baños.
staff.inc.ali
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