Can we be made to pay this holiday tax in Majorca/Ibiza?

[DaisyArcher]

We're off to Majorca in July and have just received this email from Thomson

Authorities in the Balearic Islands of Formentera, Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca have introduced a Sustainable Tourism Tax on tourists visiting the islands which the government will use to help preserve their natural beauty and cultural heritage

The charge of up to €2.20 per person, per night, on all overnight stays in tourist accommodation comes into force on July 1st 2016. It will be paid directly at your hotel and we would advise our customers to be prepared to pay upon arrival

It applies to everyone aged over 16. As we're going for 10 nights and are taking my nephew (16) and niece (17) that's going to add €88 (£68) to our holiday. What would happen if all Brits said 'no - were not bloody paying it!'

Sorry x post.

We have been paying it in Salou for years. Some regions of France charge as well.

Quite happy to pay it.

Yay daisy !

These islands are going to be absolutely packed this summer as holiday makers steer clear of countries which are looking too dangerous. Some have already said they may have to limit tourists taking their own cars to avoid congestion. So I think there's an element of the Spanish govt taking advantage, but so what. It's peanuts really and you just have to pay. If it benefits the locals I have no problem with it.

ilovesooty I got charged one solitary euro rather than the €28 I should've been last time I went to France. I felt like I had been divinely blessed by the traffic gods....don't ruin it for me by making me feel guilty now for fare dodging.

Op it sounds like you are really out of your depth with this holiday If it means that you now cannot scrape together £70 for an unexpected expense then this holiday wasn't a great idea, was it Hopefully the other parents will be willing to pay for it because it really does have to be paid.

Actually, ilovesooty , I didn't think tolls applied to me in Spain when I first drove through them, because there was usually a separate toll entrance called 'Turistas'

I wonder if I should have gone through that toll 🤔

Now daisy, don't spoil your holiday by getting into bitching sessions around the pool with other brits abroad about how you've been "ripped off"

Don't be that person again

Tourist tax has been around for years... France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands. It's not unusual. Majorca sounds like they're catching up.

Haha! Of course you have to pay! Many countries have taxes like this, it's not unusual.

It happens here in the UK too. Norwich airport charges you a £10 development tax to leave

OP has accepted they are BU.
All finished here, nothing to see.

The tourist tax has been in place for 4 years in Spain. We visited the year it was introduced were informed when we booked and was explained again when checked in.
We visit Spain alot and if we want to go to a country that has the tax well .....we pay the tax!!!

It's not the hotel or the travel company that have introduced this, it's the government. I highly doubt it's been introduced in the Balearics just to piss you off!!

Don't worry, Any Fucker, I won't be bitching with any Brits by the pool. I'll be off enjoying the natural beauty and cultural heritage that I am contributing to the preservation of

You have to pay it. Lots of countries have taxes that affect tourists and travellers only, including this one.

They've introduced the law after we booked the holiday

And so you think youshould be exempt?

Lol daisy

We knew it was going to be introduced, so even if it wasn't in place when you booked, you could have known that it would be by the time that you went.

Those of you saying cancel the cheque holiday; you do know that, as I paid in full in February, I wouldn't get any money back, don't you?

Blooming heck - YABVU!

It's not the hotel or tour operator who's decided to ask you to pay extra for no reason. It's a government tax, you have to pay it. It doesn't go to the airline, the hotel or any of the other companies you paid for your holiday. It goes to the government for clearing up the rubbish, having stricter planning controls so locals don't get pushed out of their home towns by hotel developers, initiatives to ensure that local people are respected and local services, languages and customs not be taken over by tourists.

If you don't like it and dont respect the country you are visiting then don't go. I certainly wouldn't want anyone who didn't respect and pay their taxes or to contribute positively to my area to visit here!

Long haul flights out of the UK have a "carbon offset" or some bullshit like that tax on them. The further you fly the higher it is.

Plentyof smallplaces with high tourism demands are struggling, this tax you're being asked to pay is to allow the local government to maintain the additional demands on their infrastructure (eg fresh water and electricity)

It's not just to conserve natural area brought on by locals though. The reason they need the tax is that many areas there need more of everything during high tourist season. For example Ibiza in February will be quiet and empty, in July they have to pay for more police, more bin men to sort mess, more cleaning of beaches. Tourists have trampled the sand dunes so they need to fence them off to encourage the grasses to grow back and wildlife otherwise the beaches will eventually disappear.

It's €2.50 euros a day. Just over €20 for 10 days per person. If you can't afford £20 you shouldn't be going on an all inclusive holiday as its breaking the bank if that low

Yes you have to pay it - laws change unfortunately

Ahem ....

Yes I'd guess you would loose your money if you didn't pay it. Pay it then and stop complaining about paying your taxes!

Oh and you do realise that with all inclusive resorts typically the local area actually benefit very little from you being there? Particularly if a foreign owned hotel. So if staying a tour operator owned hotel all that money you spend is going to them, not local businesses, restaurants etc. That's why the local tourist taxes need to be introduced!