A popular Canary Island has announced a new first of its kind tax for UK tourists.
Mogán’s mayor, Onalia Bueno announced earlier this month that the Gran Canarian town is introducing the pioneering tourist tax, which is the first of its kind in both the Canary Islands and Spain at a municipal level.
Beginning in 2025, any travellers staying in accommodation within Mogán, including hotels, apartments, and holiday rental properties, will be required to pay €0.15 cents per day. The tax will also apply to residents of the Canary Islands using such establishments.
The tax aims to support sustainable tourism in one of the Canary Islands’ most prominent holiday destinations, reports Birmingham Live.
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Unlike similar taxes in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the upcoming levy in Galicia, the Mogán tax will be strictly “finalist” in nature, meaning all funds collected will be exclusively used for activities, services, or infrastructure improvements within the municipality’s tourist areas.
Bueno explained that the daily rate of the tax may vary each year, depending on the investments planned by the local council to enhance the visitor experience. “This tax for the provision of services and activities related to tourism and sustainability obligations” reflects Mogán’s commitment to maintaining its appeal as a top-tier destination, she said.
Gran Canaria has the biggest city in the Canary Islands, Las Palmas. Gran Canaria receives approximately 4 million tourists every year. Maspalomas is one of the most famous tourist attractions, according to holiday data. The number of visitors in Gran Canaria, Spain jumped to nearly 3.8 million in 2022, after having dropped below two million in the previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This Spanish island received as many as more than four million tourists per year in the late 2010s.
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