The Mallorcan nationalists at the left-leaning Mes party are calling on the Balearic government to double the rate of the tourist tax in an effort to curb visitor numbers. The additional cash would be used to try and reduce tourism and to diversify the local economy away from tourism.
The call comes as many tourists of all nationalities say that the island is becoming too expensive after big rises in hotel prices. While there was a big increase in German tourism in July, the number of visitors from Britain and mainland Spain fell by 10 percent and 13 percent respectively.
Mes says that the rate of the tourist tax should be increased to eight euros per day for people staying in a five-star hotel and six euros for those in four-star accommodation. The additional revenue would be used, according to the nationalists, to ease the environmental footprint created by tourism over many decades and to also try and diversify the local economy away from tourism.
The nationalists say that most countries now have tourist taxes and the rate is far lower than the one in the Balearics which caused much controversy when it was first introduced.
This summer there have been calls from numerous political and social organisations for a reduction in tourism because they claim that the island has become saturated.