A charming European city is set to follow in the footsteps of Lisbon and Venice by cracking on visitors and introducing a tourist tax.
Evora in Portugal has become a popular tourist destination with many flocking to explore the largest mediaeval cathedral in Europe, the beautiful whitewashed buildings and the glorious Mediterranean weather.
However, to stay overnight at this UNESCO World Heritage site visitors will shortly have to pay a tourist tax, according to the mayor of Alentejo’s capital.
Draft regulation approvals from the municipal assembly are expected by December, with the tax set to be implemented by the beginning of 2025.
Evora has long been planning a tourist tax with plans initially beginning in 2019, but the plans were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tax’s goal is to minimise the effects of over-tourism by using its earnings to improve heritage restoration, waste management, and tourism promotion.
In 2019 the proposed tourist tax in Evora was initially suggested to be €1 per night. However, the final amount is expected to be higher when the tax is implemented, the city has not yet announced the official rate for the fee.
There are plans to exempt tourists who stay for more than two or three days from paying the tax, encouraging them to spend more time in the city, according to SchengenNews.
Some specific groups will also be exempt from paying the tax. Athletes affiliated with sports clubs, hospital patients and members of non-profit organisations (who have to stay overnight) will not need to pay this fee.