The Barcelona City Council has requested the Parliament of Catalonia for an increase in the tourist taxes within the city. Tourism taxes may be popular across Europe, but not so in Spain, where any attempts end up getting even more unpopular than before. Within Europe, it is lowest in the Czech Republic, but highest in Sweden. Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin and Venice all charge higher rates. In Spain, it is only Catalonia and the Balearic Islands that charge some rate. Hoteliers do not want these taxes to be levied, as the relatively lower rates have allowed Barcelona’s industry to remain afloat even at times of a general downturn. Experts believe that a significant portion of the travel jobs may get lost in case of these taxes being further increased. Others believe that inbound travel numbers and subsequent jobs creation depends on several macro factors as well, such as the political climate.

Source:https://www.tourism-review.com/barcelona-plans-to-increase-the-tourist-taxes-news11261

Uploaded Date: 16th December 2019