Following Oporto, Sintra will have a tourist tax next year
There will be a two euros rate and it will be charged per room in Sintra's hotel businesses, for no more than three days, according to the city's mayor.
The Sintra Town Council will start charging a tourist rate next year, following Oporto‘s decision, which started being implemented in March. Income from Sintra’s tax will be used to rehabilitate the historic center of the village, according to an announcement from the mayor Basílio Horta, this Wednesday.
“We will start applying the tourist rate now because we have a set of large investments in hotels. It has been 30 years since a hotel was built in Sintra, and we now have an investment that goes over 80 million euros. It is a perfectly balanced rate, it is almost painless for tourists and that money is key for rehabilitating the village”, the mayor stated.
The rate will cost two euros and it should be applied per room in hotel businesses, for a maximum period of three days, according to Basílio Horta. He also mentioned that the total investment foreseen for the re-qualification of Sintra’s historic center is assessed in around 50 million euros and it includes interventions in sanitation.
“We are aware of the fact that a much more profound re-qualification is needed, but it must be done carefully. It is very sensitive territory”, he highlighted. Basílio Horta also reinforced the importance of limiting car circulation in the historic center, leaving more room for people.
