Laurence Dollimore
MALAGA will not be introducing a so-called tourist tax… for now at least.
It comes after mayor Francisco de la Torre shut down the debate on the issue yesterday, saying ‘we can turn the page’ for now.
He added that the City Council does not want to move forward with the issue ‘without a clear consensus’.
“We can turn the page, leave it as closed and take another look in the future,” he said.
De la Torre made the comments ahead of the conclusions of the Malaga City Tourism Forum, which is presenting research on a potential tourist tax tomorrow.
It seems leaders are divided over the idea, with De la Torre and Ciudadanos not being keen at all.
The left meanwhile, is for the tax, with Adelante Malaga having presented a motion in December for a study into a potential levy.
However De la Torre said yesterday that right now ‘it is not a priority’.
A tourist tax, in place in almost 150 cities across Europe, sees tourists pay a levy, mostly at their hotels.
The money is then invested directly back into the local area for projects focusing on sustainability and culture.
The scheme has proved highly successful in Mallorca, with the tax raising tens of millions for the island.
