Gecko Towers
Over the last week certain of the UK’s right wing/red-top “news” outlets have been advising tourists, planning to visit the Costa del Sol over Easter, that they should be cautioned to pack a bullet-proof vest along with their factor 30 SPF.
Since the rationale seems to be “bad news sells newspapers” the toxicity with which some, politics of envy, elements of the UK press relish the portrayal of Marbella as a lawless frontier town, irritates me beyond belief.
I make no excuses at all for the, thankfully, infrequent and seemingly targeted acts of underworld violence that tend to characterize life in any wealthy metropolis. The demand for the narcotics supplied by these pirates and the turf wars that result have no place in this ostensively civilized region. Yet their existence cannot be ignored.
Let me be crystal clear, I am not deluded into believing that we are insulated from the impact of crime. I didn’t in Paris, London or New York. It’s just not my circle and it needn’t be yours. We all have a choice. In a reaction to a recent post, I was assured by a long-term resident that in his experience those favoring a career in lawlessness did so with birds of a feather. Others, who he typified as “decent people”, mix and thrive in this beautiful region in tandem with fellow like minds.
Anyone who’ll listen will hear my cautionary analysis of Puerto Banus after midnight. Puerto Jose Banus – Mixed Feelings Over Mixed Drinks?It’s not wholly pretty. It can be easily avoided and for those who walk around with their eyes open it needn’t prevent them from enjoying a night in one of the many bars or clubs.
It requires the same degree of caution as may be exercised in Amsterdam’s De Wallen, Hamburg’s Reeperbahn, London’s Kings Cross, Paris’ Rue Saint-Denis or Stockholm’s Malmskillnadgatan. Lessons in being street-smart should be taught as a GCSE subject.
The need for vigilance has a price, a high price, which disproportionately stretches the resources of the local police. They, and their Guardia Civil colleagues, generally do an amazing job and stamp hard on offenders when they are inevitably caught. However, a commonly cited failing is insufficient funding to sustain an active, visible and, as needed, “swat” presence of law enforcement officers.
Despite the amounts that are paid in residents and non-resident income taxes and capital gains taxes, local rates – called “IBI”- , the ITP taxes attributed to the purchase of a property and “IVA” that we all pay on our qualifying purchases, there never seems to be enough.
Recently the Mayors of Cordoba, Seville and Malaga added their voices to calls for the introduction of a Tourist Tax, based on nightly stays and variable by reference to the quality of the accommodation used. Malaga’s Mayor, the exceptionally able, Francisco de la Torre, noted that he saw such a tax as being fair compensation when the visitor enjoyed the facilities that had been paid for by residents. You cannot really argue with that.
Bali, Catalunya (Barcelona), Bhutan, Greece, Ibiza, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Manchester and Thailand each have one thing in common. They have all introduced a Tourist Tax. In many cases it is limited to a maximum of five to seven nights. In others, such as the Kingdom of Bhutan, its a hefty $100 per night for an adult and $50 for a child.
I was recently with Mrs W in Florence where we were obliged to pay €7 each per night during our stay in Tourist Taxes. We didn’t see it as a distinctive and anticipate that the funds are used by the City for the provision of core services that are required to ensure that the security and comfort of tourists and residents are maintained.
If not exposed to violent crime, the same “Red-Tops” are now warning UK tourists to expect to be greeted at their holiday destination in, especially Malaga, with “Tourists F**k Off Back Home” stickers in a language they may not readily understand. Being respectful of the needs of a local population to quietly enjoy their day to day existence is not an unreasonable ask and all tourists need to heed the sentiment of this.
Bringing their hard earned holiday cash into the region is not alone sufficient excuse to behave badly. If questioned, both locals and tourists, are likely to acknowledge that the existence of the other is generally a good thing. Would the imposition of a daily Tourist Tax really be such a burden? I don’t think so.
Should you be interested in discussing the legal process involved in buying a property in the Marbella region, we would be delighted to assist you. Our multi-disciplinary team of bi-lingual, highly experienced and wholly independent Abogados (Spanish Lawyers) and Asesores Fiscales (Tax Accountants) are ready to help you.
We are not estate agents, but we know some hard-working and reputable ones, if needed.
Please call me, Mark FR Wilkins, during usual business hours on +34 600 343 917 or, if you prefer, or e-mail me at mark@biznagapartners.com
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