Dutch government scraps tourist tax

Ryanair has welcomed the Dutch Government’s decision to scrap the tourist tax introduced in 2008. Ryanair called again on the Irish and UK Governments to follow this example and scrap the Irish tourist tax and Gordon Brown’s £10 airport tax.

Ryanair repeated its call that European Governments cannot stimulate tourism by taxing visitors, instead they should welcome tourists by lowering Europe’s airport and ATC taxes.

Ryanair’s Daniel de Carvalho said:

“Ryanair has campaigned against high airport tax and so called “eco” tax which deter visitors and has cost the Dutch tourism industry millions in lost revenue. Tourists have voted with their feet and turn their back on the Netherlands as a tourist destination. Today’s decision to abolish this tax is a sensitive step to reverse the steep decline in traffic that the Netherlands has suffered.

“We now call on the UK and Irish Governments to follow this sensible Dutch Government lead and scrap the damaging and unfair €10/£10 tourist taxes imposed to visitors.

“Ryanair will now restart talks with a number of Dutch airports about new routes and traffic growth in Holland. To celebrate the end of this unfair tourist tax and to boost the Dutch tourism, Ryanair today launched a €10 seat sale to/from our Dutch destinations for booking until Thursday midnight at Ryanair.com.”