Lisbon Imposes €2 Tourist Tax on Cruise Ship Operators Starting January 2024

Starting in January 2024, cruise ship operators arriving at the Port of Lisbon will be subject to a €2 tourist tax for each passenger.

As reported by Portugal News, ship operators will handle payment using the Janela Única Logística platform, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

In this regard, the Port of Lisbon Authority (APL) revealed that they are finalising the procedural details based on a future protocol with the Lisbon City Council (CML), with additional annual revenues anticipated from taxes amounting to €1.2 million.

The APL affirmed that the necessary conditions for tax implementation have been created. The same stated that it is completing a protocol that will be signed with the Lisbon City Council to regulate the tourist tax collection, reflecting the procedures in force for the hotel industry.

We are currently finalising the final version of the document with the CML and internally implementing the procedures so that the fee is charged to passengers who make a stopover to visit the city.

The APL further informed that operators were notified of the fee collection in 2024 several months ago. This communication was conducted through the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the representative body for cruise ship owners.

The authority also emphasised that the fee was not imposed in 2023 because cruise activity sales occurred in advance. The decision to implement the fee in 2024 allowed for the inclusion of the tax value at the time of sale.

Moreover, an annual survey conducted by a prominent association of travel agents and tour operators ABTA, Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, has clinched the title of the most budget-friendly city in Europe for a short getaway this year.

The survey, spanning 35 European cities, assessed expenses across 12 tourist activities, including sightseeing tours, a two-night stay at a three-star accommodation, a dinner for two with wine, and local transportation. Following Lisbon, Vilnius in Lithuania, Krakow in Poland, and Athens in Greece secured the second, third, and fourth spots, respectively.

Lisbon, celebrated for its pedestrian-friendly environment, claimed the top spot with a winning bid of £225 (INR 23,095). The survey also delved into popular tourist attractions in Lisbon for potential visitors.

Furthermore, the prices in Lisbon from the previous year saw only a modest increase of two per cent. This indicates a comparatively minor uptick compared to the more substantial increases observed in other cities.