One of Europe's cheapest vacation destinations has suddenly raised tourist taxes

Popular tourist cities in Europe continue to protect themselves from the excessive influx of vacationers. So one of the Portuguese resorts introduces a new tourist tax, aimed at reducing the flow of visitors.

According to The Sun, Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, will become more expensive to visit. The city authorities have announced an increase in the tourist tax to 3 euros per night. It will have to be paid by everyone staying in hotels and apartments.

Before the increase, the tax was 2 euros per non-resident staying overnight in Porto. But Mayor Rui Moreira said the amount was insufficient to keep the city touristy yet sustainable. "[It is necessary] to maintain Porto as a sustainable tourist destination, preventing degradation and over-occupation, which implies adjusting tourism management policies," the mayor said.

Porto council justified the new tourism tax amount on the basis of last year's tourism spending in areas such as culture, heritage, environment, energy, quality of life, urban planning, housing and transportation. All of these areas are involved in the provision of tourism services. "In addition to these expenditures, there are expenditure items for the Porto brand, the promotion of tourism in the city, the internationalization of the Porto brand and the modernization of tourism services," Moreira explained.

"Tourism tax" - also known as the "transit visitor levy" is a charge levied on short-term stays. Similar fees exist in European countries such as Spain, Germany, Belgium and France. The tourist tax usually takes the form of a bed fee and is charged to short-term accommodation providers.

The fee may be fixed for everyone or it may depend on the length of the visit. It can also take the form of a certain percentage of the cost of the bed or room. Sometimes the fee depends on the time of year and increases during high season. Or it may be tied to the level of service and vary depending on whether a person is vacationing in a campground, guesthouse or hotel with different number of stars. Some cities exempt or give discounts for beds, tourists with children or travelers with certain medical conditions.

Recently in Portugal, Lisbon announced an increase in the tourist levy. Another increase in such a fee from October will take place in Barcelona. And since 2028 here plan to introduce a complete ban on short-term rentals for recreation and focus on the development of hotel recreation only.

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