Majorca forced to backtrack over new rules for UK tourists in humiliating u-turn

Holidaymakers could be spared a new tourism tax, aimed at curbing tourism and boosting more sustainable forms of visitation.

Majorca could be forced to BACKTRACK on new rules for UK tourists in humiliating fashion. European Union holidaymakers could be spared a new tourism tax, aimed at curbing tourism and boosting more sustainable forms of visitation.

The centre-right minority government in the Balearic Islands is negotiating with far-right part Vox, in a bid not to increase the Sustainable Tourism Tax.

The Regional Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Jaume Bauzà, has defended the need to increase the tourism tax despite the fact it “does not regulate tourist flows” except in the case of cruise ships.

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The Spanish Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, said that he was in favour of debating the limits and the extension of tourism taxes to contribute to the environmental and social sustainability of the Balearics and as part of an already universal debate.

“I also fully accept the debate on limits, or pricing, or taxes. These are elements that I believe are already part of the modern debate on sustainability in the Balearics, in Spain and throughout the world, because this is already a universal debate,” he told the media in Berlin at the ITB international tourism fair.

“And I believe that it is precisely by committing to modulating and controlling many elements of what we want to share, by a firm commitment to quality,” he said.

The Spanish government “is fully supporting all the efforts made by cities and autonomous communities to control what they offer and, above all, to improve the value of what we offer,” he said.

According to Hereu, “distributing the benefits of tourism more and better from a social point of view is also a great message for making the phenomenon of tourism increasingly socially accepted in each and every one of the destinations”.

“I believe that growth is possible if we work on diversifying products, spreading out destinations and spreading out the flow of arrivals throughout the year. If we are working on sustainability, we can continue to grow,” he added.