Funchal council approves plan to double tourist tax to €4
Madeira GuideThe proposed €4-per-night charge is intended to start in January, after a 30-day public discussion period.
Funchal Municipal Council has unanimously approved a proposal to amend its tourist tax regulation, doubling the charge per overnight stay from €2 to €4. The objective is for the €4 nightly charge to begin in January.
According to Diário de Notícias Madeira, the proposal will now go to public discussion for 30 days before moving to the next phase of the process.
Jorge Carvalho said the new amount resulted from an economic viability study. He said the update was justified by growing tourism pressure on municipal services and infrastructure, including urban cleaning, water supply and network maintenance, the road network and cultural provision.
According to Diário de Notícias Madeira, the revised regulation would introduce exemptions for passengers forced to remain in Funchal because of critical operational constraints at Madeira Airport; people travelling to the city for medical treatment and one accompanying person; youth centre users; and doctors temporarily working in Funchal through SESARAM hiring.
Chega councillor Luís Filipe Santos demanded that the municipality explain where it will apply the additional revenue from the increase, Diário de Notícias Madeira reported.
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Madeira Guide
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