The member companies of RENA – Airlines Association of Portugal, representing 70% of air traffic in Portela, refuse to collect the tourism tax passed by the House of Lisbon, arguing that tickets do not have to set the residence of travelers.
For the executive director of the association, António Portugal, the collection of a fee from tourists visiting Lisbon, approved by the city council on Tuesday, should not be done through tickets sold by airlines, as has been advocated. “I read statements by the vice president of the Lisbon Town Hall saying that the most likely solution would be the collection of fees through tickets” but “the truth is that this solution is simply not feasible,” said António Portugal Lusa.
“If the criteria to define who is the tourist tax residence, the truth is that the airlines do not have that information. And they are not required to have because the number of contributors is not required,” explained responsible. Furthermore, he added, this possibility can set precedents that airlines consider unmanageable.
“If the city of Lisbon remember today to ask the companies to include the fee in the ticket, nothing delivers us that , from one day to another municipality – and here I must stress that the connection from the airport to Lisbon is no, the airport is owned by the Portuguese State – should assume creating a connection with tourists and want to charge to tourists visiting your county and use their infrastructure, “said the leader.
In this case, any municipality would be” in their legitimate right [to] ask the companies to include a rate that then reverted to the municipality “. A scenario that the executive director of RENA rejects completely, noting that “it is not what the companies are committed” and emphasizing that the airlines “will not provide this service, let alone free of charge, to any municipality the country. “
Criticizing the fact that airlines have not been heard on the subject while in debate, António Portugal admitted fear that” has not thought about the operability and feasibility of such solutions ” .
The regulation approved on Tuesday, is expected to come to protocols concluded between the municipality and the concessionaire of the public airport service in support of civil aviation, to “operationalize” the application fee.
Still, for António Portugal, the only solution that seems possible to run means a retreat in time and modern airports. “The solution I see as the only possible, but I do not know whether it is desirable, is we use the same solution of some airports in tourist destinations where, with sacrifice efficiency, operation of airports and passenger comfort, is heading the people to a hotel safe where tourists have to show your passport and settle there “rate, defended. However, said the chief executive, this solution displeases the 18 airlines represented by the association.
“As airport users and as an interested party to work an infrastructure we want modern, fluid and light to which passengers feel good when visiting Lisbon for fluidity on arrival and access to the city, it seems that it is back 20 or 30 years, “he said, admitting that the companies would like that” this does not happen. “
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