Lanzarote holidaymakers support tourist tax

Three out of four tourists to Lanzarote would accept a tourist tax, according to the latest survey of tourist spending.

A tourist tax is one of the main demands of the protests against the effects of mass tourism that took place in April this year. Also known as an “eco-tax”, the aim is that the money raised would be spent on protecting the environment, as well as alleviating social problems such as the lack of housing on the islands.

Tourist taxes are common worldwide, and several local authorities in Spain have already adopted them. However, the Canarian Government has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to introduce a tourist tax.

The senior partner in the regional government, Coalición Canaria, has said it is “willing to discuss” the measure following pressure from the recent protests, but their coalition partners in the Partido Popular have flatly opposed a tax.

Meanwhile, the Socialist opposition supports a tourist tax, although when it was in power from 2019 to 2023, it insisted that “now is not the time”.

The tourist industry itself, including the influential hoteliers’ lobby, have always been strongly opposed to such a tax, which they believe would reduce the competitiveness of the islands as a tourist destination.

But it seems that the tourists themselves are far more willing to accept the imposition of a tourist tax. 76.5% of tourists surveyed from April to June by the Canarian Institute of Statistics said they’d be willing to pay a tourist tax.

Of those who were unwilling to pay a tax, 29.3 % of tourists from Ireland, Lanzarote’s most faithful holiday market, said they would be discouraged by a tourist tax. 27.5% of Spanish tourists also opposed a tax.

Tourists from Switzerland were the most willing to pay a tax, followed by Belgians, Germans and Dutch.

The majority of tourists would be willing to pay a tourist tax of between €1 and €3 a day, with the money to be used to protect the environment and improve the quality of life on the Canaries.