Despite warning that this could impact tourism rates, the city council has approved a bill to raise tourist taxes for night stays in Porto from €2 to €3.
The majority of city council members voted pro the new measure, which is expected to generate revenues that will be distributed across different sectors to improve the quality of life of residents and the tourism services this municipality offers, Schengen.News reports.
The €3 fee is proposed after the cost per overnight stay in Porto was estimated to be €2.81 in 2023. In total, expenditure associated with tourism was €15.5 million, while 5.5 million overnight stays were recorded.
Criteria for the Porto Tourist Tax Has to Be Improved, Authorities Say
From CDU, Francisco Calheiros pointed out that some of the criteria for the Municipal Tourist tax regulation have to be changed, indicating especially the exemption of minors on school visits from this payment.
The study points to various paths and could be taken into account in a future discussion.
In addition, he argues that the tax is more of an integrated policy rather than being expected to bring balance to overtourism in the city.
Rui Novoa from BE and Paulo Vieria de Castro from PAN noted that there should be more categories where the tax would be applicable but charged differently based on the classification of hotels.
Several Municipalities in Portugal Impose Tourist Tax
Recently, the Faro district started charging tourist taxes in an effort to develop a better tourism infrastructure. The new measure requires tourists to pay €2 fees for nights spent during the high seasons, which includes months between March and October when more tourists visit the district.
During the low season, including other months (November to February), tourists will have to pay a €1 fee for stays of up to seven consecutive days. Some categories of visitors, such as residents and those visiting for medical purposes, are exempted from paying this fee.
The Algarve region and Albuferia have also introduced tourist taxes for overnight stays. The Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Faro, Olhao and Portimao also joined, imposing the tax on millions of tourists that visit Portugal every year.
According to INE statistics, 13.1 million tourists visited Portugal in the first eight months of 2024, showing constant increases in tourist arrivals compared to the previous months. There are several popular destinations for tourists in Portugal, but Algarve remains the most visited.
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