Major European city break destination to ‘double tourist tax’

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Holidaymakers heading to a popular city break destination in Portugal could have to pay in ‘tourist tax’. The fee, which is applied to anyone staying overnight in Lisbon, is set to be doubled after it was approved by the city council.

There will be a 30-day consultation period before it comes into action, with all the revenue generated going towards maintaining the city’s infrastructure.

Mayor Carlos Moedas has warned the tax will go from €2 (£1.40) per person per night to €4 per person (£3.40). This would mean an additional £12 per person to the cost of a three-night holiday, or nearly £50 more than they are currently paying for a family of four.

The total amount of tourist tax would be around £95 for four people for a week. READ MORE: Venice introduces five euro ‘tourist tax’ this week Mayor Carlos Moedas said: “Increasing the tourist tax is fair for Lisbon residents, it is fair for the city, so it’s a decision I’ve taken, but obviously I want to do it with a great deal of consensus with those who are the most important people in the sector, from hotels to restaurants.