How will tourists pay the “living tax”? Turkish hoteliers respond

Tourists who book their own accommodation in Turkey directly from the hotel or through online services will pay tax on departure.

For customers of tour operators, the fee will be included in the tour package.

The amount of tax will be charged by the hotel in the total bill of the host company, then the DMC operator transfers it to the tour operator, which takes this amount into account in the total price for the product.

The first tourist tax in the history of Turkey will be levied from April 1, 2020. It will be 1% of the cost of accommodation taking into account all services, including accommodation, food, animation, SPA.

Local hoteliers have come to terms with the tax and believe it will not affect prices. However, they believe that this procedure will add to their administrative problems.

Industry experts said that the interest of tourists in the direction will not suffer from the innovation. The main mistake in the introduction of the tax is that the received funds will not remain with the municipalities, but will be sent directly to the national budget. This will prevent the development of local infrastructure.

ATOR representatives emphasize that the price change will be insignificant for Turkey. The price-quality ratio, even if prices rise, will be optimal for Russians, and the country will be able to maintain its position as a leader in outbound tourism.

Source: turizm