As of January 1 this year, the City of Dubrovnik has started collecting tourist tax for cruise ships. It was announced back in 2019 when the relevant Ministry of Tourism introduced the so-called cruise tax.
After 2020, in which the cruise industry was paralyzed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many were skeptical this year in the months before the start of the summer season, with unfavorable forecasts in a city that in normal circumstances usually receive hundreds of cruises during peak season.
HrTurizam reports that this year there were a total of 135 cruiser touches that had over 50 passengers on board and as such were subject to a fee. Thus, the total revenue of the tourist tax paid by ships on international cruises for 2021 is 1,463,000 kuna, of which 85% – 1,243,550 kuna belongs to the City of Dubrovnik, and 15% – 219,450 kuna belongs to the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
These are earmarked funds that would be invested in transport infrastructure to raise the standard of the destination.
At a recent meeting with representatives of CLIA, the umbrella organization of cruise companies, Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković reported on the continuation of cruise tax revenue collection next year, where the City of Dubrovnik, as this year, will show flexibility in relation to the capacity of ships.
Namely, due to the fact that due to special safety protocols, conditioned by the COVID pandemic, cruise ships sailed mostly with only half the capacity, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports gave the opinion that, during these circumstances, the capacity of passengers on board the number of passengers on the ship calling at the port, not as the total capacity of the ship.
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