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City taxes for tourists

  • 15-01-2019 9:54pm
    #1
    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.


Comments

  • 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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,783 ✭✭✭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.


  • 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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,388 ✭✭✭ratracer


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


  • 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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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 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.


  • 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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 469 ✭✭boege




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,815 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    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.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭Twenty Grand


    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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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,070 ✭✭✭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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,574 ✭✭✭✭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.


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


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


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,787 ✭✭✭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...



  • 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?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,390 ✭✭✭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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,981 ✭✭✭Paulzx


    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


  • 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?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,787 ✭✭✭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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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,538 ✭✭✭✭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

    In Cavan there was a great fire / Judge McCarthy was sent to inquire / It would be a shame / If the nuns were to blame / So it had to be caused by a wire.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,638 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


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


    then they dont leave.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Humphrey BoaGart


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,329 ✭✭✭✭Cienciano


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,068 ✭✭✭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?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 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.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭Dots1982


    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.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,128 ✭✭✭Tacitus Kilgore


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

    Didn't NATO donate the dough, my boy?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,638 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    Didn't NATO donate the dough, my boy?


    No.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭Twenty Grand


    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?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Humphrey BoaGart


    Dots1982 wrote: »
    So by that rational Dublin would be better off without tourists which is 100% untrue.

    I never said that. If a tourism tax is such a bad idea, why do so many cities have it?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭Humphrey BoaGart


    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?

    Many of the museums, sites etc are free for tourists. These are paid for by taxpayers.
    Tourists are also putting great strain on accommodation with AirBnB, etc.
    Why do you think so many cities have taxes on tourists?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,452 ✭✭✭Twenty Grand


    Many of the museums, sites etc are free for tourists. These are paid for by taxpayers.
    Tourists are also putting great strain on accommodation with AirBnB, etc.
    Why do you think so many cities have taxes on tourists?

    But they're free for everyone. I'd say there's more Irish people going through the doors than tourists. I've been in the national museum a dozen times in my life, probably 3 or 4 on school tours.
    Even if we had no tourists these places would still be open. And they're spending money in the museum shops and cafes too.
    You can also argue that we wouldn't have museums of such quality without tourism. Think of the Wild Atlantic Want, Ring of Kerry etc. Also theres plenty of paid in sites, like Blarney which wouldn't be half as good without the busses of Americans queuing up to kiss the stone.

    I understand the AirBnB argument, but tourism is definitely a new positive for Ireland no matter what way you you look at it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭Dots1982


    I never said that. If a tourism tax is such a bad idea, why do so many cities have it?

    I never said they were a bad idea. I said they were a rip-off.

    Cities do it because they it’s an easy source of income as tourists are normally well to do so won’t mind paying.

    I’m complaining about it, still going to pay it when I go to cities that have it. It’s unlikely to make or break my holiday plans. It’s just clear it’s a ripoff to levy tourists when they are there supporting your city financially.

    The point you made about it being a response to tourists being a burden to cities was called out as illogical and nonsense.


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