A picturesque European city will force visitors to shell out extra cash after introducing a “tourist tax”.
Viana do Castelo is said by tourism chiefs to be one of the most beautiful cities in the north of Portugal.
Easily accessible from Porto and popular with visitors from Spain, it is best known for its Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
But according to Portuguese media, people over the age of 16 wishing to go there face a new levy of up to €7.50 (£6.39) per stay.
Resorts will charge €1.50 per person per night during the high season and €1 during the low season.
Bosses say the decision was made in response to the city’s highest-ever number of tourists.
Revenue will be used to “mitigate the impact” of huge numbers descending on the local area.
“We have record tourism which brings new challenges, especially when it comes to the cleanliness of the city,” said local mayor Luís Nobre.
“Whoever comes to the city and finds it clean and cared for has to contribute to the effort we make to maintain this excellence.”
The tax applies to overnight stays “in any type of accommodation in tourist resorts and local accommodation establishments located in the municipality” according to documents.
There is a maximum charge of five consecutive nights per stay, bringing the total to €7.50.
Exemptions from the tax include guests invited by the council, those visiting for health reasons, individuals with disabilities, and people displaced by conflict who are temporarily residing in Portugal.
Tourists who can prove they made bookings prior to the implementation of the tax are also exempt.
Viana do Castelo is the latest region in Portugal to introduce a tourist levy. Earlier this month we reported the municipality of Oeiras, near Lisbon, had rolled out fresh charges.
It comes after fed up residents in cities across Europe blasted so-called over tourism and demanded action.
They include furious locals in Barcelona who chanted “tourists go home” and squirted holidaymakers with water during one bizarre protest.