Government will not introduce tourist tax when its presents tourism message on Friday.
When the Minister of Trade and Industry, Monica Mæland, presents the government’s tourism message on Friday, it will not contain proposals for the introduction of tourist taxes, as a number of Norwegian cities and municipalities have worked for.
So says Gunnar Gundersen, who sits in the Standing Committee on Business and Industry for the Conservatives, to Dagens Næringsliv.
Lofoten, Trysil, Stavanger and Bergen are among the several cities and destinations that have been positive for a tourist tax. Many European cities have such a tax, imposed on the hotel bill which goes to finance so-called public goods.
– Norway must think competitiveness in the tourism industry. It is important not to add new taxes, says Gundersen, who believes that municipalities should be able to cover joint projects from other sources.
Tourism Director in Stavanger, Elisabeth Saupstad, says she has high expectations for the the government’s tourism message.
– It is important to build this industry and I expect that the message will include the improvement of the regulatory framework including more money through Innovation Norway for everything from product development to facilitation and especially for marketing, she said.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
