Cruise ship passengers purchasing tours landing in Lisbon from this Monday will pay a tourist tax, which will amount to a single amount included in the travel package.
This measure is the result of a protocol signed on December 21 between the City Council of Lisbon (CML) and the Lisbon Port Authority (APL), and excludes tourism packages for this year purchased before December 31, 2023.
According to APL board president Carlos Correia, the protocol goes into effect today, but there are “some technical issues that need to be resolved,” namely adapting computer systems to carry out this charge.
On the other hand, some cruise packages for the beginning of the year have already been sold, so “from April 1, fees will be charged.”
Therefore, from this Monday, the tourist tax is paid in advance, included in travel sales packages, with the amount transferred by tour operators to APL, which then passes this amount to CML.
According to the official, the payment of the tourist tax by these passengers will be a “single amount”, that is, only two euros, regardless of the number of nights spent in Lisbon by cruise tourists.
The tourist tax in the city of Lisbon began to apply in January 2016 for overnight stays of national tourists (including Lisbon residents) and foreigners in hotels or local accommodation facilities.
Initially it was one euro per night, but in January 2019 it increased to two euros per night.
Cruise ship passengers who disembarked in the capital never paid the fee.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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