An expert has warned that Majorca’s tourist tax could potentially deter British visitors, even as travel to the Balearic Islands continues to grow.
The Chief Executive of the Travel Association (ABTA), Mark Tanzer, claimed that while the tax could fund improved tourism infrastructure, it may also drive cost-sensitive tourists elsewhere.
He told The Majorca Daily Bulletin: “Tourism is an efficient market. You’ve got all the options on the internet, you can easily see what the costs are, and the danger is you put the taxes on, and the customers head somewhere else.”
Despite these concerns, Tanzer also pointed out that British tourism in Majorca is on the rise, with data suggesting that “Majorca and the Balearics are more popular than ever.”
Tanzer also stressed that ABTA does not oppose tourism taxes outright but rather wants the revenue directed towards improvements that benefit both residents and visitors.
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He said: “We want them [tourists] to enjoy Majorca, enjoy Spain.
“We’d like to see them [taxes] applied to the kind of purposes we’ve talked about.
“Either investing in better tourism infrastructure or measures which reduce the strain on the domestic systems rather than going into general taxation as just another tax.”
However, Tanzer added that it’s important to balance Majorca’s economic dependence on tourism with the well-being of local residents, a view echoed by many on the island.
He said: “They are trying to find that balance between the desire to welcome people and the important part tourism plays in the Majorcan economy with the fact that residents want to live their lives as well.”
With anti-tourism protests across Spain, Tanzer sees a need for more community engagement in tourism planning.
He said: “When you have all three of those in balance, you’ve got a really good tourism ecosystem.”
Tanzer added: “Our data suggests that Majorca and the Balearics are more popular than ever.
“So how you manage that increase in popularity and get the balance environmentally and socially is a challenge, but I think it will remain a top destination for the UK.
“Spain certainly is, and Majorca within the Spanish market is seen as a very hospitable, effective and close place that we are familiar with.
“So, I don’t see any signs of Majorca losing ground in terms of its offering; it’s just a question of making sure we balance all the interest groups.”