Malaga mayor bangs drum in favour of three to four-euro tourist tax again
The tourist rental sector seems to be in favour of the move, but city hotels are against it at the moment
The mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, continues his crusade to implement a tourist tax in the city. He has asked both the central and the regional governments to apply it, but he has not received the desired response yet. For this reason, he used his talk with Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida during the Greencities forum, held in the Palacio de Ferias in Malaga, to raise the possibility again. Their conversation was moderated by president of the Cotec foundation for innovation and former minister of science Cristina Garmendia.
De la Torre was vocal about his request for the central government to change the local treasuries law, which would be an important step in making the tax possible. The mayor said that he had already sent letters to Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez and different ministers.
The tourist tax, De la Torre explained, would be three or four euros per tourist dwelling. The tourist flat sector seems to be in favour, but hotels are against it at the moment. The mayor stated that the tax would benefit families that are at risk of or already in a state of social exclusion. The purpose of it is to make rental housing access easier for them.
When addressing the impact of tourism on cities, De la Torre said that Malaga has a three-year moratorium on tourist flats in order to curb the lack of access to long-term rental housing caused by an increase in tourist accommodation. He urged the central government to implement more laws that would benefit traditional rentals.
Mayor Martínez-Almeida said that each municipality must tackle the negative consequences of tourism in order to protect the largely positive influence of the sector. He explained the new strategy adapted in Madrid: deseasonalisation of tourism in the winter, especially around December when the highest influx of visitors has been recorded. The idea is to attract more tourists in July and August. Another strategy is the creation of more infrastructure that would get tourists outside the city and around the outskirs, such as a cultural hub in Carabanchel or a sports complex next to the Metropolitano stadium. "If Madrid is the best city to live in, then Malaga is the best city to visit," he said.
