Algarve tourism board calls for tourist tax in all municipalities

The President of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), André Gomes said in an interview with ECO online news that one of the objectives of his term in office is to introduce a tourism tax in all of the region’s municipalities, arguing that it would be an additional finance for tourism marketing”, without having to depend on the State.

André Gomes became the new president of the Algarve Tourism Region on August 1 succeeding João Fernandes, with a top priority to “attract large events to the Algarve”.
He also argues that apart from boosting the regional and national economy “it would enable the Algarve to reach other markets and visitors”, have all-year-round visitors, and dissociate the Algarve from being “just a sun and beach destination”.
The new president of Algarve Tourism thinks that the proposal for the State Budget 2024 is “insufficient to promote the region” and argues for a sum of €20 million from VAT revenues for regional tourism entities.
Under the previous president a proposal was made to the Algarve Inter-Municipal Community (AML) to all the mayors in the Algarve to charge a tax of between €1 and €2.
In the State Budget proposal for 2024, regional tourism entities will get €16.4 million in VAT revenues while also receiving €4.4 million from the Portuguese tourism board Turismo de Portugal for regional tourism entities; €900,000 more than in 2023.