Portugal’s municipalities that have introduced a tourist tax have seen a total of €21.4 million raised for a period of four months, from the beginning of January until the end of April this year, with Lisbon being responsible for collecting €13.6 million in such taxes.
According to a report by Portugal Resident, tourist numbers in Portugal have marked an increase of 41 per cent in the first four months of this year, compared to the same period last year statistics, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The same source shows that the sums account for a total of 61 per cent increase compared to the statistics of the same period last year, while tourist numbers are up by 41 per cent.
Lisbon was followed by Porto with €5.8 million raised in the past four months, according to SIC Noticias, while Santa Cruz, Madeira also accounted for a record on money coming in.
“This is also due to the growth in the tax applied,” SIC notes.
The report of Portugal Resident shows that in 2022, just 11 municipalities charged tourist taxes, while the tendency is for others to follow.
The tourism industry in Portugal has also been significantly affected by the spread of the Coronavirus and the restrictions imposed to contain its further spread. However, this sector has made notable progress.
In addition, the figures provided by Portugal’s Minister of Economy, Antonio Costa Silva, showed that revenues from tourism in this country last year reached €22 million, therefore surpassing the pre-pandemic levels registered in 2019.
Despite the fact that a large number of countries are attempting to attract a higher number of visitors, Portugal belongs to the list of countries that apply tourist taxes over concerns about over-tourism.
Authorities in Portugal have introduced a tourist tax which is paid per night per person. The fee in this country applies only to passengers who are over the age of 13, and it is about €2.
Recently, authorities in Portugal announced that tourists in the Algarve region would be required to pay a €2 tax per night while emphasising that the measures will become effective in the following days.
According to local media reports, the €2 tax will be applied during the summer season while the same is expected to increase by more than €300,000 every year, while during the low season, also taking into account the period between November and March, the fee will be €1 per night.
In addition to Portugal, several countries in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, and the Czech Republic, as well as France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and Italy, among others.
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