The Greens and the SPD in Tegernsee want children and young people up to the age of 16 to be exempt from the spa fee - a proposal that has now sparked a lively debate in the city council.
The Greens and the SPD want children and young people up to the age of 16 not to pay tourist tax.
Lively debate in the city council.
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Tegernsee -
It was only in October that a majority of the city council passed a new resort contribution statute.
It will apply from May 1, 2021 and means: in future, adults will count three instead of two euros per day, children and young people between the ages of six and 16 will pay 1.50 instead of one euro.
With this, Tegernsee joins a valley-wide almost uniform resort contribution regulation (we reported).
As early as October, the Greens had proposed to the city council that children and young people up to the age of 16 should be completely exempted from the obligation to pay a tourist tax.
At the most recent meeting, together with the SPD, they packed this wish into a specific proposal, which Ursula Janssen explained.
“Our goal is sustainable tourism, not just in an ecological sense.
It should be permanently stable in changeable times, ”said the Green Councilor.
Apart from the fact that the jump in increase of 50 percent is unusually high and not effective in advertising, it represents a special burden for families with average incomes. The applicants believe that the increase in price could be the decisive factor in the families avoiding Tegernsee as a holiday destination.
Janssen even made a calculation: on a two-week vacation with parents and two school children, that would be 126 euros.
"A considerable contribution in the order of two restaurant visits," says Janssen.
The target group should not be the double-income earners between 50 and 60 years of age "who vacation here today and there tomorrow", but families.
“Children are the guests of tomorrow and enliven the townscape,” she argues.
It is also important to do something about the "drastic slump" in the number of guests with 22 percent fewer families in 2018 and 2019.
Tegernsee should take on a pioneering role in terms of family friendliness and seek consensus with the other valley communities, so their appeal.
Waiver of tourist tax for young people: That would cost it
In order to provide a real basis for discussion, the Tegernseer Tal Tourismus GmbH (TTT) had calculated in advance, based on the number of overnight stays in 2018 and 2019, what financial effects an exemption from tourist tax would have for children and young people.
Tegernsee would have to forego 7,700 euros a year, Gmund 6,200 euros, Kreuth 19,000 euros, Rottach-Egern 19,600 euros and Bad Wiessee 20,775 euros.
The motion sparked a controversial debate: Vice Mayor Michael Borujau (FWG) assessed the exemption as a family-friendly signal that Tegernee would look good on.
Thomas Mandl (SPD) highlighted the sustainability aspect and focused on children as guests of tomorrow.
Markus Schertler (CSU) was in favor of sticking to the almost uniform line that had just been achieved.
"It's relatively easy for us with 7700 euros shortfall in income, but how do the others think?"
Debate about tourist tax at Tegernsee: Municipalities want to stick to (almost) the same route
Mayor Johannes Hagn (CSU) knew: The valley colleagues are in favor of sticking to the tourist tax.
It is not seen that the exemption is an additional incentive for families.
Günter Allerstorfer (CSU) was against the exemption, because behind the tourist tax there are also benefits for families.
Anton Lengmüller (FWG) spoke of a “nice contribution”, but he did not think it would make sense to put the good relationship with the other valley communities at risk for a “probably not sweeping effect”.
Especially since the excitement about going it alone by Bad Wiessee and their special regulation of 3.30 euros per adult has just subsided.
Hagn did not want to follow the arguments of the applicants and pointed out: “We have to finance an indoor swimming pool together.
This is a bad weather offer, especially for the target group of families. ”It would be a“ fatal sign ”to forego the resort fee for children and young people.
In the end, the majority was of this opinion: The motion was rejected with 12: 4 votes.
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