by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:55 AM ET, Tue July 30, 2024
The local government in Lisbon, Portugal, has approved a plan that will double the tax tourists pay for overnight stays and cruise visits without a clear plan as to how the increased tax revenue would be used.
Travelers heading to the popular capital of Portugal on September 1 or later will be required to pay four euros per night for every night they spend in the city, while cruise passengers will have to pay two euros in taxes.
Previously, the hotel tax was two euros, while the cruise tax was one euro.
According to The Portugal News, the tourist tax was first created in 2016, but there has been no formalized accounting of how the tax revenue has been used.
Typically, cities that impose tourism taxes use the funds to mitigate tourism’s negative impacts on the city, using it to preserve historical sites, build tourism infrastructure and other necessary development.
Venice recently found its own tourism tax for day-trippers successful, raking in millions that will go towards necessary maintenance and quality-of-life initiatives in the city.
The PS, or Socialist Party, in Portugal commented on the new rule with a recommendation to use the funds to sustain the city’s tourism: “The externalities of tourism must be combated and the quality of life of Lisbon residents restored.”
The party criticized the council’s “inaction” to do so, and demanded a plan that would use the tax revenue to clean up the city, support public transportation and inspect local accommodations and nightlife venues.
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