The Peniche City Council in Portugal has approved a proposal to introduce a tourist tax of €1 (R20) per person per night for travellers to the Leiria district.
The tax will compensate for the radical increase in the number of tourists in Leiria, reports theportugalnews.com.
The regulation received unanimous approval at the city’s last chamber meeting, however it will also be submitted to the Municipal Assembly and undergo public consultation for a period of 30 days before being officially implemented.
“The Municipality of Peniche considers that the principle of fair distribution of public costs requires that the operational costs incurred in generating utilities for tourists who visit the municipality be allocated, in the proportion in which they benefit from these tourists and not the population resident of the municipality. In this way, it becomes legitimate to demand compensation from tourists,” explained the municipality.
The tourist tax will assist the municipality to mitigate the social and environmental impacts of increasing tourist visits without compromising the town’s competitiveness as a popular destination.
It will apply to overnight stays at local accommodation, including hotels, guesthouses, apartment hotels, tourist villages, resorts, and camping and caravan parks.
