The municipality of Mogan in Gran Canaria has announced the introduction of a pioneering tourist tax, the first of its kind in both the Canary Islands and Spain at a municipal level.
From 2025, anyone staying in accommodation within Mogán, including hotels, apartments, and holiday rental properties.
The tax will also apply to residents of the Canary Islands using such establishments.
Mogán is one of the archipelago’s most prominent holiday destinations and the tax aims to support sustainable tourism development.
The announcement was made by Mogán’s mayor, Onalia Bueno, during a press conference on Thursday, December 5.
Unlike similar taxes in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the upcoming levy in Galicia, the Mogan tax will be strictly “finalist” in nature – all funds collected will be exclusively used for activities, services, or infrastructure improvements within the municipality’s tourist areas.
Holidaymakers and locals alike will be required to pay 0.15 cents (£0.12) per day to stay in the municipality, according to Canarian Weekly.
Bueno explained that the daily rate of the tax may vary each year, depending on the investments planned by the local council to enhance the visitor experience.
“This tax for the provision of services and activities related to tourism and sustainability obligations” reflects Mogán’s commitment to maintaining its appeal as a top-tier destination, she said.
The tax will apply universally, covering all accommodation types, including holiday lets, regardless of whether the guests are visitors from outside Gran Canaria or residents of the island.
Other islands in the Canaries have also implemented fees at some of its most popular tourist attractions as part of the archipelago’s new tourism strategy, set to come into effect as of January 1 2025.
The move is an attempt to appease local anger about mass tourism that has erupted over the past year. Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets since the spring demanding that the local government limits visitor numbers.
The new fee has been dubbed an “eco tax” and will have to be paid by all visitors to the island, however the exact amount has yet to be announced by local authorities.
Many popular tourist sites are expected to introduce the levy, among them Tenerife’s iconic volcano, Mount Teide. Currently hikers need to apply for a free permit to go trekking on the volcano. Only 200 permits are issued per day and can be obtained online.
Local leaders are also debating slapping a tourist tax on anyone wanting to travel to one of Gran Canaria’s best-known beauty spots: Roque Nublo.
Protestors say the current mass tourism model is unsustainable and is causing serious environmental damage. They also claim that a proliferation in holiday apartments is pricing locals out of property rental markets.
More than 16 million tourists visited the Canaries in 2023, a number that is expected to be surpassed this year. Tourism is a major contributor to the local economy, with visitors spending as much as €20 billion (£16.6 billion) last year. Overall, tourism accounts for 35% of the Canary Islands’ GDP and 40% of jobs.
