The Évora City Council announced today that the implementation of a new tourist tax will begin on Friday, despite receiving “doubts, criticisms, suggestions, and proposals” from tourism operators during a meeting earlier this week.
The initial months will act as an “adaptation period” for both the operators and the council to “facilitate the application and operationalization of the tourist tax through dialogue and clarification,” the council emphasized.
In response to concerns, the council extended the timeframe for operators to report August collections initially scheduled for September 1st to 15th and subsequently payment within 10 working days.
Tourism operators in the municipality must now submit their first report from October 1st to 15th, aligning with the timeline for the second report for September, with payment due in the following 10 business days.
Speaking with Agência Lusa, municipal president Carlos Pinto de Sá acknowledged that although he believed the payment process seemed “clear,” extending the deadlines was justified.
This extension provides “more than two months to address any questions,” he noted, aiming to “reassure operators” and simultaneously “address any arising issues.”
The mayor mentioned an “adaptation period” of three to four months for the new tax, during which the council will maintain “flexibility to review and potentially correct situations as necessary.”
The municipality plans to provide direct contact channels with tourism operators, and municipal staff will also be available to clarify any uncertainties.
“An indefinite postponement isn’t feasible, as the regulations do not permit a delay in implementing the tourist tax,” he affirmed, adding that the council remains open to feedback to improve the process.
Pinto de Sá admitted that “the meeting with operators should have been conducted earlier” and “there should have been more discussions” regarding the tax’s operational procedures.
“We wanted to ensure the digital platform was ready, and anticipated but couldn’t confirm that the bank could provide payment communications via multibanco sooner,” he highlighted.
Nevertheless, Pinto de Sá emphasized that “most operators were prepared to implement the tax,” as “the widely used digital booking platforms already account for the tax” at Évora’s tourist units.
Speaking to Lusa, the mayor reiterated that the tax aims to “lessen the tourism impact on the city” and will “fund activities in tourist promotion, heritage, public space, hygiene and cleanliness, culture, sports, and civil protection.”
“This seems to be an appropriate solution, increasingly common not only in Portugal,” he remarked, noting that the tax planned for Évora “is among the lowest if not the lowest.”
Starting Friday, the Évora City Council will levy a €1.5 fee per guest per night in the municipality’s tourist establishments, with some exemptions, expecting to generate a minimum annual revenue of €600,000.
