A new tourist tax might spell trouble for the tourism industry in Spain if Britons are required to pay extra in taxes.
Spain is an exceptionally popular holiday spot for Britons looking for an inexpensive, nearby European getaway.
In just a few short hours they can be out of gloomy Britain and on a sunny, sandy beach.
However, a tourist tax might soon put British travellers off visiting the country.
Spain’s tourism leaders have warned that the country risks losing millions of Britons if the European Union introduces a new tourist tax later this year.
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Tourism to Spain was already hugely affected during the pandemic what with worldwide travel restrictions put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus.
At a time when the aviation industry almost grounded to a halt, Britons swapped Spain for staycations on British beaches.
Speaking of the possible tourist tax, the Spanish Tourism Board said it could be a major problem for Spain, describing the new charge as a “threat”.
The alert was raised when the Tourism Board held its first General Assembly of the year.
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Two major problems were identified for the year ahead in connection with the competitiveness of Spain as a tourist destination.
The first concern was the commitment of the airline Lufthansa to convert the Rome Fiumicino airport into its new hub for intercontinental routes to Asia, America and Africa.
The board stated: “This move would undermine the Madrid Barajas hub, which currently concentrates air traffic with Latin America and, consequently, would decrease the relevance of the Spain brand.”
The second concern was the creation of a new tourist tax for non-EU visitors who enter the Schengen Area.
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The board stated that it is “especially concerned about the impact of this tax on British tourism”.
This is Spain’s “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.”
Juan Molas, president of the Spanish Tourism Board said: “We issue a warning in relation to these two alerts that seem to be going unnoticed, but that constitute two potential threats to the competitiveness of the Spanish tourism sector.”
Additional reporting by Rita Sobot.
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