İYİ Party deputy Aykut Kaya, speaking at a meeting of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, raised the issue of collecting a city tax from tourists in Antalya. He suggested taking at least a symbolic fee from both foreign guests and citizens of the republic vacationing here.
The speaker noted that government support for the resort is not enough to solve many problems in the city. With a total population of 2.7 million people, Antalya receives 9 times more people during the high season. This load has a significant impact on city infrastructure.
Aykut Kaya emphasized that a tax of just 1 euro per night could bring about 200 million euros a year to the local treasury. The money received is proposed to be used for the development of the city, various development projects, etc. In addition, large hotel chains are often registered in Ankara or Istanbul, so Antalya itself, which receives guests, does not receive additional income.
Starting this year, Turkey also has a tax on accommodation in hotels, boarding houses, guest houses, and other accommodation facilities. The fee is 2% of the total cost of the rooms. In most cases, the surcharge is already included in the price, so tourists do not need to make separate payments.