Minister of Tourism Mircea Dobre will propose that a new national hotel tax be introduced, at the request of tourism unions.
During a debate on the law on tourism, tourism unions asked Minister Dobre to request within the ruling coalition to expand at a national level the tourist tax that is currently applied at a local level on an optional basis.
Minister Dobre said he will pass on the proposal adding: “As long as I occupy this position, I will not go public and say I will introduce a new tax, unless there is a consensus of all governing parties. So, in the coalition there will be talks, I will raise this issue and will say that hotel owners want the introduction of a new tax, which now is an exceptional one at the level of the public administration, to become compulsory in all hospitality structures,” Dobre said.
Dragos Anastasiu, member of the National Tourism Agencies Association (ANAT), stressed that the way the money will be used should be made known beforehand. “With the mention that the money should be used in public-private partnerships at local, regional or national level, this is the prerequisite. If you do not mention this, leave the money with the people, because, instead of staying in the accounts of the city halls, they are better left with the people,”Anastasiu said.
Minister Dobre said that the intention of the minister was to approve the tourism law in the Government by November 15, so that the Parliament can vote by the end of the current session.