Spanish tourism representatives are objecting to the ETIAS, the EU ‘tourist tax’ as they fear that British holidaymakers will drift away to a different destination, especially after some additional taxes to visit European destinations were introduced.
Tourism leaders in Spain said they are completely against ‘EU tourist tax’ according to which, third-country nationals, including Brits who represent the main tourism source market in Spain, have to pay a €7 fee every time they go on a holiday to Spain, or enter the 27-nation-bloc, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
This payment comes on top of any local tourist tax that charges between €2 and €5 for each overnight stay in hotel accommodation, and Spaniards are concerned that too much taxes will make their tourists, as the majority of those come from non-EU countries like the United Kingdom, to look for other destinations while the tourism organization, Mesa del Tourismo issued a statement expressing their concerns.
“We are especially concerned about the impact of this EU tax on British tourism, our main issuing market with 18 million arrivals in 2019. It must also be taken into account that the measure – if it goes ahead – will be added to the rest of local taxes that the tourist is already paying to visit certain European cities,” the organization pointed out in a statement.
Moreover, Francisco Salado, the president of the provincial council of Malaga, a popular tourism destination in Spain, also spoke against the EU tax, saying tourism works fine under its current agents. He also noted that these taxes imposed on municipalities make them less competitive, as Daily Mail reports.
Earlier this week, Lufthansa, the German flag carrier revealed its plans to convert Fiumicino airport in Rome into its new hub for routes to America, Africa an
This move wasn’t positively received by Spaniards who said it would undermine the Bajaras hub in Madrid which connects Latin America with Europe, and it would make Spain less relevant in the EU’s air traffic connectivity.
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which was confirmed in August 2021, will be similar to ESTA, the American Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which enables citizens from 40 countries to visit the US for a 90-day-stay without applying for a visa.
