“The regulation has already been published” in the Official Gazette, meaning that the Évora Municipal Tourist Tax “will come into force on August 1st”, highlighted the mayor, Carlos Pinto de Sá, in statements to the Lusa news agency.

Consulted by Lusa, the regulation of the Évora Municipal Tourist Tax, published on the 6th in the Official Gazette, determines that it will come into force on the first day of the second month following its publication.

“We are now preparing everything, both in terms of the IT platforms needed for proper registration, as well as establishing contact with [those who operate] the units that will charge the fee to explain how it works,” he said.

Pinto de Sá predicted that the municipality would obtain a minimum annual revenue of 600 thousand euros from the fee, admitting that, in the first months of implementation, “there will be some adjustments” and the charge may not be normal.

“We consider this revenue to be important for the municipality to be able to guarantee and reinforce investments in areas such as cleaning and public hygiene, tourism promotion and conservation of monuments, some of which are quite lacking,” he emphasised.

The regulation sets a charge of 1.50 euros per guest over 16 years old and per night in the municipality’s tourist establishments, up to a maximum of three consecutive nights, with some exemptions provided for.

According to the rules, guests and one companion whose stay is motivated by medical treatment in the municipality, people with disabilities and students at educational establishments in the municipality do not pay the fee.

Tourist and accommodation establishments have until the 15th of the month following the month in which they are charged to declare the amount charged to the city hall, and must deliver the funds within 10 business days after submitting the declaration.

In addition to the tourist tax, an entity called the Investment Committee will also be established, the composition of which will be determined by the city hall, to manage and apply the revenue collected from the tax.

“The revenue from the tourist tax must be applied to areas of municipal activity, namely tourism promotion, restoration of heritage and public spaces, urban hygiene and cleaning, culture and sports, emergency and civil protection,” reads the regulation.

In the regulation's explanatory note, the mayor emphasizes that “Évora has seen significant tourism development in recent years,” indicating that the municipality recorded 694,895 overnight stays in 2023.

“The increase in tourist flows, although a vector of economic development, leads to a greater need for action in the municipality's direct responsibilities, in order to mitigate the effect of the ‘tourist footprint’: maintenance and improvement of infrastructure, equipment and public spaces,” he concluded.