It has been described as a game of political ping-pong, but the song and dance over Lisbon council’s plans to charge its own form of tourist tax continues unabated, with hotels now saying they don’t agree with it.
Lisbon Mayor António Costa revealed the plan in the city’s proposed budget for 2015.
Once fully taken on board, the tax should reap the capital as much as €16 million per year.
Costa – muscling up to take on the PSD at the next legislative elections and so become Portugal’s next Socialist prime minister – is unrepentant. Pouring scorn on his critics, he is forging ahead with the tax even though it is now clear that the Portuguese association of hotels do not support it.
Diário de Notícias explains that initially hotel association boss Luís Viega okayed the idea, “but in the space of five days”, he changed his mind due to pressures from within.
Meantime, a Portuguese economist has defended the tax, saying it is a very good idea to get outsiders to help with the rigours of the state budget.
Paulo Trigo Pereira of the Superior Institute of Economy and Management told DN that the idea was not to “burden only the Portuguese in this budgetary question”.
He added that tourist taxes already exist in many other countries, and that municipalities really have very little alternatives to raising money from non-residents.
