Malaga, Seville and Granada mayors voice support for tourist tax in Andalucía

The mayors of Granada, Seville and Malaga have voiced their support for the creation of a tourist tax in Andalucía. During a meeting in Granada, mayors Marifrán Carazo, José Luis Sanz (Seville) and Francisco de la Torre (Malaga) defended the need for a tax aimed at strengthening the tourist potential of the cities and financing the services enjoyed by both residents and visitors.

The three mayors agreed that the regulation should be created alongside the tourism industry, which generates more and more visits every year. The need to find a "balance" with local everyday life specifically points to the excessive proliferation of tourist flats and the rise in rents.

Carazo, Sanz and De la Torre believe that it would not be appropriate for the tax to be used for issues unrelated to the sector, although the mayor of Seville did hint at the possibility of using part of the profits in the renovation of neighbourhoods as a formula against "tourism phobia". With this, he seeks to show residents that "the benefits of tourism reach the city".

In addition, the tax could be used for the rehabilitation of historic centres. Carazo proposed using the already existing Alhambra plan, which uses visitor profits and financing from the regional government to renovate historic buildings, as a reference point.