The Government of the Principality of Asturias has announced this Friday the draft bill on tourist stays, the well-known tourist tax. The regulation will be optional for the city councils, who will be the ones to decide independently whether or not to apply it in their municipal areas.
In the appearance before the media, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mar Salgado, and the Head of Tourism, Lara Martínez, have participated. The regional Executive emphasizes that this initiative reinforces the commitment to move towards more sustainable tourism, in coherence with the "Respeturismo" campaign presented this year at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR).
Llamedo has highlighted that the legal draft foresees a "wide range" of destinations for the resources obtained, the result of "dialogue" with the city councils. Among them are the reinforcement of local public services strained by the arrival of travelers, such as waste collection, as well as the modernization of infrastructures, the promotion of sustainable transport, the training of sector professionals, and municipal housing policies.
The collection of the tax will be managed by the Principality, which will subsequently transfer 100% of the revenue to the local entities that apply it. The levy will have a limited period of validity: it will be activated during Easter Week and during the high summer season, between June 1 and September 30.
Amounts and foreseen exemptions
The tax will be charged per person and night, with a cap of five nights per stay. The amounts will vary according to the type of tourist accommodation, with a maximum of 3 euros per night in five-star hotels or superior category and a minimum of 0.5 euros per night in rural tourism accommodations and hostels. The tax will also apply to cruises and camping linked to summer events, such as festivals, while municipal motorhome areas will be excluded.
The draft bill incorporates several exemption cases. Minors will not have to pay the levy —it will only apply to those over 18 years old—, people with a disability greater than 65%, beneficiaries of social programs such as Imserso, students and those participating in university research stays, athletes competing in official events, nor those staying for health reasons or due to force majeure.
Processing calendar
The text will now undergo a 10-day public information period to gather suggestions and claims. Afterwards, the document will be submitted to the Governing Council for approval before being sent to the General Junta of the Principality. Due to the necessary parliamentary deadlines, Llamedo has clarified that the new tax will not be applied this summer and that the horizon for its entry into force is set for next year, taking Easter as a reference.
Llamedo has insisted that experiences in other destinations show that these types of levies do not negatively impact visitor numbers, but rather directly contribute to the improvement of services and the tourist destination itself.