Salou proposes to introduce an additional tax to cover the costs of the services provided by the municipality to tourists. Mayor Pere Granados confirmed this.
“The tourism policy we are implementing is intended to guarantee the interests and well-being of our residents,” he said. The payment would, on the one hand, finance the promotion of the destination. Furthermore, it would also aim to improve cleaning and security services. This will also alleviate the burden that currently rests on residents. “We defend solidarity tourism in which tourists contribute directly to the costs incurred by their stay,” said the mayor of the municipality and chairman of the municipal tourism department.
Combating tourism phobia
The mayor defends that better management of tourism contributes to combating tourism phobia and improving the quality of life of residents. “The tourism policy being implemented, for example in Salou, is intended to ensure that the interests and well-being of our neighbours are always the priority,” he stated. He also emphasised that the citizen must be an involved party and beneficiary of all interests, measures taken and decisions.
Existing tourist tax
Tourists visiting Salou must already take the existing tourist tax into account. This is applied to the price of stays in tourist establishments. This includes: hotels, tourist apartments, campsites, rural accommodation, youth hostels, homes for tourist use, overnight accommodations for campers and caravans and cruise ships. This tourist tax varies from €3 per stay in a five-star hotel to €1 per stay in a holiday home.
Salou registered 5.7% more tourists last year than in 2022. A total of 2,187,368 people visited the coastal city and spent more than 7.8 million nights there.
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