SPAIN'S tourism leaders have sounded a warning about losing millions of Brits if the European Union introduces a new tourist tax later this year.
The Spanish Tourism Board says it could be a major problem for Spain, describing the new charge as a "threat".
The alert was raised when the Tourism Board held its first General Assembly of the year.
Two major problems were identified for the year ahead in connection with the competitiveness of Spain as a tourist destination.
The first was the commitment of the airline Lufthansa to convert the Rome Fiumicino airport into its new hub for intercontinental routes to Asia, America and Africa.
"This move would undermine the Madrid Barajas hub, which currently concentrates air traffic with Latin America and, consequently, would decrease the relevance of the Spain brand," says the board.
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Regarding the second reason for concern, the General Assembly of the Bureau expressed its concern about the creation of a new tourist tax for non-EU visitors who enter the Schengen Area.
The European Union could begin to apply this rate from November, under the name of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and would entail the payment of €7 per non-EU tourist.
"The Tourism Board is especially concerned about the impact of this tax on British tourism, our main issuing market with 18 million arrivals in 2019," the board announced in a statement after the meeting.
"It must also be taken into account that the measure -if it goes ahead- will be added to the rest of local taxes that the tourist is already paying to visit certain European cities."
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Juan Molas, president of the Spanish Tourism Board said: "We issue a warning in relation to these two alerts that seem to be going unnoticed, but that constitute two potential threats to the competitiveness of the Spanish tourism sector."
The ETIAS visa system means Brits will have to pay extra to visit EU countries.
It will cost €7 (£6.19), and any travellers between 18 and 70 years old will have to have one.
They must be applied for before travelling and can be completed online, with Brits needing to complete it at least 96 hours before departure.
A new website for the ETIAS applications will be launched in November 2023, but it is not yet live.
The new European Union Entry and Exit System (EES) system is also being rolled out across Europe later this year.
Here are some of the other new rules Brits need to be aware of when travelling to Europe since Brexit.
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