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01st Sep 2017

Holidaying in one of Europe’s most popular destinations is about to get a little more expensive

It'll affect Ibiza, Santa Ponsa and Magaluf amongst other places.

Conor Heneghan

balearic islands

It’ll only cost a little bit extra per individual, but it all adds up.

The Balearic Islands in Spain are to double taxes on tourists entering the region in an effort to raise revenues and counter the effects of mass tourism.

The Balearics are easily one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain and in Europe; 2.4 million people visited the islands – which include Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza – in July alone.

According to the Daily Mail, from next year onwards, the average fee for an individual’s (over 16 years of age) stay on the island will jump to €3 per day during high season, with city and five-star hotels set to charge €4 per person per day.

Passengers on cruise ships stopping in the Balearic Islands will also be required to pay a fee of €2 per person, regardless of berth time. Holidaymakers in rural hotels, meanwhile, will have to fork out €2 per day per person; those staying in campsites and guest houses will pay a fee of €1 per day.

All of those charges apply to tourists visiting the islands during the high season (May-October), although tourist fees during the low season, traditionally half the price of the high season, will also double as a result.

It is estimated that the measures will generate almost €100 million in extra revenue once they are introduced next year.

The increase in tourism taxes in the Balearic Islands follows on from a cap on the number of hotel beds available to tourists and stricter rules governing holiday rentals, which were introduced by the regional government earlier this summer in an effort to appease local residents.

Earlier this year, new laws surrounding noise levels were introduced in Calvia in Majorca – the region where Magaluf is located – in addition to measures brought in to prevent anti-social behaviour in the popular holiday resort in 2015.

Topics:

Spain,Travel