Viana do Castelo, Oeiras, Setúbal and Caminha introduce tourist taxes

The measures come as anti-tourism protests spread to Portugal, following a string of demonstrations across Europe this summer.

Only two weeks ago, the Sintra civic organization QSintra made headlines by saying that “guerilla action is needed” to prevent the town from becoming “a mere congested amusement park.”

To be fair, they’re not protesting against tourism per se (and certainly not against foreigners as a group). Instead, they are demanding that the city council takes action to ensure that the city put quality ahead of quantity tourism.

A QSintra spokesperson stated: “We want Sintra and the people of Sintra to be able to live with tourism, but a type of tourism that respects and improves the lives of those who live here and does not, on the contrary, harm their daily lives and make them flee from what remains of their own life in the neighbourhoods, in the mountains and the surrounding area up to the Atlantic coast.”

“Mechanisms must be created to discourage mass tourism, flash tourist visits, and the flow of people that congest monuments, access roads and public spaces.”

Recently, over 350 citizens signed a protest against the construction of a new hotel and car park in the town’s historic centre that QSintra called “an attack on the cultural landscape”.

The protest follows a string of similar anti-tourist activism across Europe this summer. These have ranged from large-scale protests in major cities like Madrid and Málaga, to more subtle actions like anti-tourist graffiti peppering Spain’s inner-cities and coffee shops banning digital nomads from hogging tables with their laptops.

In some places, however, things have taken a slightly more unsettling turn. In the southern city of Seville, Airbnb lockboxes were recently allegedly covered in dog poo, and, in Barcelona tourists, were sprayed with water pistols and told to leave the city.

Now, it seems that a couple of Town Halls in Portugal were listening to the protesters (or, at least, have read the mood as an opportunity to earn a few extra bucks): Viana do Castelo, Oeiras, Setúbal and Caminha have just announced that they will introduce tourist taxes for overnight stays.

The tourist tax is a fee charged to all guests staying in tourist or local accommodation (“Airbnbs”) developments in cities where the tax is in effect. Allegedly, the goal of this tax is to raise funds so that the municipality can invest in infrastructures that support tourism in the city, from public spaces such as roads and sidewalks to preserving the city's environment, traditional commerce, etc.

The tax first started in Lisbon and is currently applied on overnight stays in several Portuguese municipalities, including Lisbos, Cascais, Vila Nova de Gaia, Mafra, Vila Real de Santo António, Portimão, Óbidos, Faro and Olhão.

The rules for the tourist taxes differ across Portugal. Read here if you’d like to know what the specific rules of the towns introducing taxes:

Viana do Castelo

On Tuesday, the Viana do Castelo’s Town Hall introduced a tourism tax for overnight stays, with a value €1.50 euros until October 31 and €1 euro in low season (November 1 to April 30).

According to the regulations, the fee applies to “any type of accommodation in tourist resorts and local accommodation establishments located in the municipality”.

Moreover, the “overnight fee is payable per guest, over the age of 16, and per night, up to a maximum of five consecutive nights per person and per stay”.

However, visitors who have reservations before this date are exempt from paying the fee. Visitors who travel to Viana do Castelo at the invitation of the chamber, for health reasons, those with disabilities, with a disability equal to or greater than 60%, and those who, for reasons of conflict and displaced from their countries of origin, temporarily reside in Portugal” will also be exempt from paying the fee.

Oeiras

The Oeiras City Council will start charging a tourist tax of €1 to hotels and local accommodation in the municipality from August 15.

The Oeiras municipal tourist tax will be applied throughout the year and will be charged “per person per night, per stay, up to seven consecutive nights”. This fee will only apply to people aged 13 and over.

The Council has made available a platform to help tour operators pay the fee and it will also hold a clarification session on August 14, between 12:00 and 13:00, at the Temple of Poetry in Parque dos Poetas. The session will be broadcast through the Municipality’s social networks. There is also a support line (210 977 400), to clarify doubts about using the platform and applying the fee.

Setúbal

The city of Setúbal will start charging a tourist tax for over- 18s from September.

The fee will be €2 per person, for each night spent in the municipality up to a maximum of five days, that is, €10.

The amount will be charged in tourist developments, local accommodation establishments with a capacity of more than ten beds and campsites. However, everyone who goes to Setúbal for medical treatment, as well as their companion, is exempt from this payment, upon presentation of a supporting document.

The exception extends to people with disabilities or those with a disability equal to or greater than 60 percent, students in specific and temporary training or teachers undergoing training or research. Everyone must present their respective proof that justifies the exemption.

During this month of August, Setúbal City Council will provide training to operators on charging the tourist tax, which will be done through a computer application.

Caminha

The municipality of Caminha will start charging a tourist tax from September, with a value of €1.5 per night in high season and €1 in low season.

The fee will be charged for a maximum of seven consecutive nights to people over the age of 16 for all accommodation services, including local accommodation, camping sites and caravanning.

The fee is payable for “paid overnight stays” in hotels, inns, apartment hotels, villages and tourist apartments, as well as accommodation or rural tourism enterprises.

Pilgrims from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and Fátima, Portugal, are exempt from payment as long as they are accredited and only on the first night.

The exemption also includes “citizens with disabilities, with a disability equal to or greater than 60%, as long as they present proof of this condition”, and “former combatants or widow/widower of a former combatant who holds the card”.