The Southern Businessmen and Professionals Circle of Tenerife (CEST) stands “against the generalized tourist tax” as proposed in recent days by political representatives of the Archipelago. The organization argues in a statement that this type of taxes “do not have real utility for Canarian society and they are against accommodations having to take on the responsibility of collecting them”.
CEST President, Javier Cabrera, states that the association’s stance on this measure, whenever it has been discussed, has always been the same: “We have always believed, based on data from the implementation of the ecotax in other destinations worldwide, that it does not have real utility for the population as a whole, as there is not even any discussion about the destination of those funds once collected”.
However, he clarifies that “accommodation providers will be exposed to unpleasant situations with customers who, once they have paid their reservations, see that they must pay a higher amount than agreed upon”. Therefore, he regrets that the possibility of implementing this measure is being raised again, fearing it may be “a manoeuvre to appease an agitated population, without actually offering real solutions”, in reference to the demonstration scheduled for this Saturday in Tenerife and other areas in Canary Islands, Spain and around the world against the tourist model.
The association’s board of directors believes that “directly, the ecotax is not useful” and reminds that “the administration does not have the capacity to execute 100% of its budget, nor to manage European funds, so the taxes collected would not have a real effect on the issues that affect Canarian society”.
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On the other hand, the Circle is willing to consider the possibility of applying fees to the provision of certain services, such as access to natural areas, “in a way that not only controls access to them but also allows, through these contributions, to cover the costs derived from their maintenance”. “The amounts obtained from charging for access to protected spaces should be used to provide them with services and maintenance,” concludes the CEST.
Big fee for british turists. maybe 50 £/ night is enough for that noise.