“In Portugal, Airbnb hosts have already contributed more than €14 million through the tourist tax in 2019, and almost 27 million since 2016”, said the company in a statement.
Airbnb points out that the total from the collection of the tourist tax in Lisbon, in 2019, reached more than double the amount of the previous year (€4.5 million).
In relation to the city of Porto, there was also an increase, having increased by €1.8 million.
According to the online accommodation platform, the collection and delivery of the tourist tax takes place through agreements signed with the municipalities of Lisbon (2016) and Porto (2018).
Approved in 2014, the tourist tax started to be applied in Lisbon in January 2016 on overnight stays from national (including Lisboners) and foreign tourists in the hotel and local accommodation units of the city, being charged €1 per night up to a maximum of 7 nights.
On 1 March, 2018, the Porto tourist tax (€2 per night) began to be applied to guests over 13 years old, for a maximum of seven nights in a row, to “mitigate the impact of the tourist footprint” in the city.