Spain and Greece are ‘kicking tourists in the teeth’ with extra holiday taxes – expect to pay hundreds
BRITS are facing paying “hundreds of pounds more” for their family holidays abroad, a travel company boss has warned.
EasyJet Holidays chief executive Garry Wilson cited confusing new environmental fees being introduced by airlines and tour operators.
He said that failing to demonstrate a “direct link” between the money raised and sustainability schemes would reduce bookings.
Spain, Greece and Tunisia are among locations popular with UK tourists which charge green taxes or have plans to introduce them.
In an interview at the annual convention of travel trade organisation
Abta in Costa Navarino, Greece, Mr Wilson said many destinations which suffered huge losses due to coronavirus travel restrictions decided that tourists should pay “this fee and that fee and the next fee”.
He said: “They’re named the ‘green tax‘ or ‘climate resilience’ or
whatever it might be.
“Whilst I understand the ethos, (we need to) understand what you’re doing with that money.”
Mr Wilson said it was “understandable” if taxes were introduced with a “direct link” to initiatives such as installing systems that automatically switch off air-conditioning and electric sockets when hotel rooms are empty.
He warned that if the money just goes into a “big pot” then holidaymakers will think it is just another way of operators making extra money from them.
Mr Wilson said taxes were “going up and up and up when it comes to travel”.
He added: “There has to be real thought put into what impact this is
going to have on demand.
“The way it’s being treated at the moment by a lot of destinations
isn’t necessarily helping build confidence and demand.”
A survey commissioned by Abta, which spoke to 2,000 UK adults, indicated that 38 per cent of people believed it was the responsibility of travel companies to manage the impact holidays had on the environment and local residents, rather than their own.
Some 22 per cent disagreed with the statement, while 40 per cent were neutral.
What does this mean for British holidaymakers?
Here’s why I think it’s bad news for holidaymakers as well as the travel industry.
YOU’VE saved up all year for that precious family holiday. You’re travelling at the most expensive time of year.
So it’s just a further kick in the teeth to find the price you paid ISN’T the final amount when you check into your hotel and discover tourist taxes imposed by our favourite Med destinations are an unexpected and unwelcome extra bill.
Spain, Greece and Tunisia are just three who have increased the daily tourist tax – often justified by saying the money raised will help fight climate change and to enable destinations to become greener.
But holidaymakers need to see the proof – just where is the money raised going?
Often dressed up with very oblique language – the hotel I am currently staying in charges a €10-a-day ‘Climate Resilience Fee’ – these charges do nothing to encourage us to make more sustainable choices.
But what it could well do is make us consider taking our money where we’re not being hoodwinked.
With every penny precious these days, ever-increasing tourist taxes that are not clearly being used to improve those destinations are ill-judged and could well start to see families looking elsewhere.
The poll also indicated that the most common areas of concerns about the impact of people’s holidays was preservation of culture and heritage, waste and plastic pollution, and the welfare of animals.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “The ultimate goal for travel
is to have great places to visit that are also great places to live.
“If a destination intends to introduce a visitor charge as part of its tourism management, then it needs to make clear how that money is going back to support the local community and local people.
“Otherwise, these charges will only serve to add costs to consumers, without addressing the tourism issues important to local residents.”