Torremolinos mayor calls for funding reform over tourist tax debate
Speaking in London at the Spain Talks 2026 forum on Monday, during a panel on the pros and cons of tourism levies, she argued that local authorities are struggling to cope with the pressure tourism places on public services
The Mayor of Torremolinos, Margarita del Cid, has said the real challenge facing major tourist destinations is chronic underfunding rather than the introduction of a tourist tax.
Speaking in London at the Spain Talks 2026 forum on Monday, during a panel on the pros and cons of tourism levies, she argued that local authorities are struggling to cope with the pressure tourism places on public services.
Del Cid pointed out that Torremolinos, with a population of around 75,000, often sees that figure swell significantly during peak periods, placing strain on services such as street cleaning, policing, infrastructure and beach maintenance.
“The debate cannot be reduced to whether or not there should be a tourist tax. Tourist municipalities are delivering services far beyond what their registered population would require, yet funding has not been adjusted accordingly,” she said.
She warned that while tourism generates jobs, spending and tax revenue, much of that income does not flow back to the councils responsible for maintaining destinations.
“The municipalities making the greatest effort to sustain tourism are not receiving a proportional share of the returns,” she claimed.
Del Cid called on the Spanish government to address the issue structurally, either by reforming the local funding model or by introducing targeted financial mechanisms to support high-pressure destinations.
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She said a tourist tax could be part of the solution, but should not dominate the debate. Any such measure, she said, must be regulated nationally while allowing councils to decide whether to implement it.
“This should not be an ideological argument, but a practical one,” she added.
The mayor said that any new funding tools must ensure money is reinvested locally and used to address the real impacts of tourism, including pressure on public services and urban infrastructure.
Her remarks came during wider discussions on how destinations can balance tourism growth with residents’ quality of life.
Del Cid concluded by calling for a “serious and practical” debate, warning that the success of Spain’s tourism industry has not been matched by adequate funding for the municipalities that sustain it.
“Torremolinos wants to remain a leading destination, but also a liveable town with high-quality public services. That requires confronting the real issue: how tourist municipalities are funded,” she concluded.
