ADN/Madeira today expressed “its deep concern about the recent measure by the Funchal City Council to revert 2.5% of the Tourist Tax in favour of hotels and Local Accommodation (AL) units.”
“We understand that this decision distorts the true purpose of this tax, which should be fully applied to the improvement of the city’s infrastructure and services, as well as to initiatives that mitigate the negative impacts that tourism has on the lives of Funchal residents,” defends Paulo Pita (ADN).
For the ADN/Madeira, “it is imperative that the amount collected by the Tourist Tax is channeled directly to the city, promoting investments in mobility, public spaces, historical heritage, and environmental sustainability, which are under increasing pressure due to the exponential increase in the number of tourists. The use of this amount in favour of a benefit restricted to hotel establishments and AL ignores the need for measures that directly benefit the local community.”
According to the party, “instead of channeling a part of this fee to accommodation units, the Municipality could create an emergency fund to support professionals in this sector in crisis situations, such as bankruptcies or delays in the payment of salaries.”
“This would be a much fairer and more effective way to ensure that workers in this area, who are the backbone of tourism success, are supported in times of difficulty,” justifies the ADN, which concludes “that the priority should be the sustainability and well-being of the city and its inhabitants, and not the additional profit for the tourism sector, which already benefits directly from the flow of visitors.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
