Nine months after the implementation of the Municipal Tourist Tax charged by hotels when staying in hotel units and six months of charging this same fee to cruise tourism, the ADN – Madeira Party questions the Funchal City Council for the promised application of these funds in terms of investment in the municipality of Funchal. As they see it, nothing innovative or even visible has been done, and several million euros (extra) have been banked by the Municipality.”Â
ADN – Madeira recalls that these revenues were expected to be directed to strategic projects aimed at improving the quality of life of residents and visitors, in addition to ensuring the sustainability of the tourist destination through investments that included the maintenance of gardens, organisation of cultural events, as well as improving cleaning services in urban spaces and their maintenance, as well as improving mobility management.
“At a time when there is so much talk about the (im)possible privatisation of our levadas and their walking trails, ADN – Madeira questions whether the amount that was intended for the maintenance of this leisure activity will be delivered to the winner of this concession or directed to another type of “invisible” investment?”
ADN – Madeira says it is not against the collection of tourist taxes, but considers “that there has to be transparency in the management of these funds before the resident society, as well as our paying visitors, as we are talking about large revenues, which in the case of the Municipality of Funchal are expected to reach 13 million euros per year.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
