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City taxes for tourists

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  • 15-01-2019 10:54pm
    #1
    Dots1982
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭


    Hate these, “hello I’m a tourist whose chosen your city to stay in while I support your tourism economy” ... “really, well you bastard we’re not going to let you get away with that, we’re charging you 5% on your hotel”

    It’s just a ripoff and I don’t see any reason put forward for it. Fair play to Ireland for not having them.


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    #2
    ArchXStanton
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,912 ✭✭✭ArchXStanton


    Dots1982 wrote: »
    Hate these, “hello I’m a tourist whose chosen your city to stay in while I support your tourism economy” ... “really, well you bastard we’re not going to let you get away with that, we’re charging you 5% on your hotel”

    It’s just a ripoff and I don’t see any reason put forward for it. Fair play to Ireland for not having them.

    Just back from Rome were they had them, 36 euro for 3 nights for 3 of us


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    #3
    Damien360
    Registered Users Posts: 6,391 ✭✭✭Damien360


    I had to pay it in Basel, Switzerland. It was charged per night. Honestly don't remember the charge. It is on the bill seperate from the hotel charges and I couldn't see an issue with it. I presume it goes towards water, services etc provided by the local council.


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    #4
    Dots1982
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭Dots1982


    Damien360 wrote: »
    I had to pay it in Basel, Switzerland. It was charged per night. Honestly don't remember the charge. It is on the bill seperate from the hotel charges and I couldn't see an issue with it. I presume it goes towards water, services etc provided by the local council.

    Hotel pays those charges already


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    #5
    ratracer
    Registered Users Posts: 3,225 ✭✭✭ratracer


    It seems to be the norm everywhere, I’m really surprised our vulture politicians haven’t nailed it on yet....


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    #6
    Humphrey BoaGart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Humphrey BoaGart


    Dots1982 wrote: »
    Hate these, “hello I’m a tourist whose chosen your city to stay in while I support your tourism economy” ... “really, well you bastard we’re not going to let you get away with that, we’re charging you 5% on your hotel”

    It’s just a ripoff and I don’t see any reason put forward for it. Fair play to Ireland for not having them.

    It's a perfectly fair tax. Tourists put a great strain on local services and infrastructure.

    It should be brought into Dublin, too.


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    #7
    boege
    Registered Users Posts: 469 ✭✭boege


    Pretty much standard across Europe. Mostly they are levied on a per night stay and included in hotel bills. Big debate in Venice at present on levying a visitor tax to deal with the cruise ships which unload up to 5000 passengers at a time with no overnight stay.

    The 'theory' is that they are levied to improve tourist facilities.


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    #8
    Ipso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    boege wrote: »
    Pretty much standard across Europe. Mostly they are levied on a per night stay and included in hotel bills. Big debate in Venice at present on levying a visitor tax to deal with the cruise ships which unload up to 5000 passengers at a time with no overnight stay.

    The 'theory' is that they are levied to improve tourist facilities.

    Yes, coke and hoors.


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    #9
    boege
    Registered Users Posts: 469 ✭✭boege


    Ipso wrote: »
    Yes, coke and hoors.

    Hence why you need a tourist tax in Dublin :D

    https://www.independent.ie/sport/you-cant-get-good-cocaine-in-this-town-it-was-a-joke-based-on-fact-30343486.html


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    #10
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,893 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    Humphrey BoaGart wrote: »
    It's a perfectly fair tax. Tourists put a great strain on local services and infrastructure.

    It should be brought into Dublin, too.

    Maybe to support the free entry attractions like national museum, the rip off places like the Guinness storehouse can **** off. Of course being Ireland it'd probably go to fund any random thing at all.


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    #11
    Twenty Grand
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭Twenty Grand


    Humphrey BoaGart wrote: »
    It's a perfectly fair tax. Tourists put a great strain on local services and infrastructure.

    It should be brought into Dublin, too.

    They do pay for them you know, and definitely the same or more than the average punter.


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    #12
    MarkY91
    Registered Users Posts: 7,067 ✭✭✭MarkY91


    It's fairly common indeed. I'm shocked that our government hasn't implement this "tax" yet.

    Although, hotel prices are already stupidly high for average accomodation in an average city. Cities like Paris can justify their hotel prices...it's PARIS.


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    #13
    CucaFace
    Registered Users Posts: 965 ✭✭✭CucaFace


    If you asked me a few years ago I would have said no way should such a tax be even contemplated, but now I'm in favour of it.

    The Dublin housing crisis is being directly impacted by the increase in the tourist numbers and any such tax should be ring fenced to address this issue (I now that would never happen though).

    Airbnb's are taking up a lot of the stock in the city and also now the little building capacity we have is being used to just build hotels (along with student accom and office blocks), all to cater for the increased tourist numbers arriving here so tourism while on the one hand is great, does have a negative affect also which perhaps a tax could help to reduce.


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    #14
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,322 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    was charged a tourist tax in bialowieza poland near the belarus border if its fairly nominal (i think it was around 14 euro for 2 of us for 5 nights) and it goes to funding local services i dont have much of a problem with it.

    when you see some of the spend on fixing narrow roads and widening them for tour buses in donegal might be an idea.

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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    #15
    bigpink
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭bigpink


    Surprised it’s not in Dublin as it’s a rip off already for tourists


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    #16
    Feisar
    Registered Users Posts: 6,614 ✭✭✭Feisar


    I think charging tourists is silly but don't get me started on the €10 Knock Airport charges you to leave.

    First they came for the socialists...



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    #17
    bigpink
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭bigpink


    Feisar wrote: »
    I think charging tourists is silly but don't get me started on the €10 Knock Airport charges you to leave.

    Knock Airport 10 euro to leave?


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    #18
    markpb
    Registered Users Posts: 9,261 ✭✭✭markpb


    bigpink wrote: »
    Knock Airport 10 euro to leave?

    They have an airport development levy which, in any other airport, would be part of your ticket and paid to the airline but for some reason, this doesn't happen in Knock so there's a €10 charge that has to be paid in the airport.


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    #19
    Paulzx
    Registered Users Posts: 1,968 ✭✭✭Paulzx


    Humphrey BoaGart wrote: »
    It's a perfectly fair tax. Tourists put a great strain on local services and infrastructure.

    It should be brought into Dublin, too.

    Yet, all these places actively encourage tourists to visit and many of their economies would flop if there were no tourists visiting.

    A tourist tax is nothing more than a gouging exercise to extract more money from visitors.

    If cities were that worried about the "damage" that tourists do they should stop encouraging them to visit. I'm not saying that over excessive numbers of tourists don't create problems but it is hypocrisy to then charge a tax for this while still allowing and actively courting unlimited numbers


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    #20
    bigpink
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭bigpink


    markpb wrote: »
    They have an airport development levy which, in any other airport, would be part of your ticket and paid to the airline but for some reason, this doesn't happen in Knock so there's a €10 charge that has to be paid in the airport.

    What if people refuse or can’t pay?


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    #21
    Feisar
    Registered Users Posts: 6,614 ✭✭✭Feisar


    bigpink wrote: »
    What if people refuse or can’t pay?

    I don't know, it's an odd one though.

    First they came for the socialists...



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    #22
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users Posts: 34,226 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    markpb wrote: »
    They have an airport development levy which, in any other airport, would be part of your ticket and paid to the airline but for some reason, this doesn't happen in Knock so there's a €10 charge that has to be paid in the airport.

    Crazy stuff, but then building Knock airport in the first place was crazy

    Fingal County Council are certainly not competent to be making decisions about the most important piece of infrastructure on the island. They need to stick to badly designed cycle lanes and deciding on whether Mrs Murphy can have her kitchen extension.



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    #23
    ohnonotgmail
    Registered Users Posts: 40,275 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    bigpink wrote: »
    What if people refuse or can’t pay?


    then they dont leave.


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    #24
    Humphrey BoaGart
    Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Humphrey BoaGart


    Twenty Grand wrote: »
    They do pay for them you know, and definitely the same or more than the average punter.

    No they don't. It's the people who live in the City/Area year round who pay for them.


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    #25
    Cienciano
    Registered Users Posts: 14,248 ✭✭✭✭Cienciano


    Humphrey BoaGart wrote: »
    It's a perfectly fair tax. Tourists put a great strain on local services and infrastructure.

    It should be brought into Dublin, too.

    Every penny a tourist spends is literally money brought into the country. They'll spend far more on meals, travel, accommodation and shopping than the average person too. Tourists should be encouraged, not poxy taxed.


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    #26
    pauliebdub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭pauliebdub


    It's always only mentioned as I'm checking out of a hotel. I wonder what would happen if the visitor refused to pay?


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    #27
    Sugar Free
    Registered Users Posts: 1,639 ✭✭✭Sugar Free


    Damien360 wrote: »
    I had to pay it in Basel, Switzerland. It was charged per night. Honestly don't remember the charge. It is on the bill seperate from the hotel charges and I couldn't see an issue with it. I presume it goes towards water, services etc provided by the local council.

    One thing it goes towards in Basel is your mobility ticket, which gives you completely free public transport in Basel and the surrounding area during your stay.


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    #28
    Dots1982
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭Dots1982


    Humphrey BoaGart wrote: »
    It's a perfectly fair tax. Tourists put a great strain on local services and infrastructure.

    It should be brought into Dublin, too.

    So by that rational Dublin would be better off without tourists which is 100% untrue.


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    #29
    Tacitus Kilgore
    Registered Users Posts: 2,128 ✭✭✭Tacitus Kilgore


    Hotblack Desiato wrote: »
    Crazy stuff, but then building Knock airport in the first place was crazy

    Didn't NATO donate the dough, my boy?


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    #30
    ohnonotgmail
    Registered Users Posts: 40,275 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    Tacitus Kilgore wrote: »
    Didn't NATO donate the dough, my boy?


    No.


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    #31
    Twenty Grand
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭Twenty Grand


    Humphrey BoaGart wrote: »
    No they don't. It's the people who live in the City/Area year round who pay for them.

    I don't really understand. Tourists pay to come here. They pay their hotel or whatever, they pay to eat out, to travel around, to see the sights etc etc. Holiday are expensive.

    But you say that other people pay? I don't understand?


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