“The City Council has approved the proposed tourist tax regulations, to take effect in January,” José Rodrigues Paredes, mayor of the municipality in the Vila Real district, told the Lusa news agency.

Alijó could be the first municipality within the Douro Intermunicipal Community (CIM) to move forward with creating a tourist tax, though the matter has long been discussed in the region.

The municipal executive has now approved the regulations, which will undergo a 30-day public consultation period before the Alijó Municipal Assembly discusses and votes on them; the tax is expected to take effect on 1 January 2027.

“This tourist tax has a dual structure: an overnight stay fee of two euros and an arrival fee of two euros for those entering the municipality of Alijó by river,” explained José Rodrigues Paredes.

The mayor justified the decision by citing strain on infrastructure and visitors’ increasingly high expectations, which compel the municipality to invest more and require additional resources.

He cited Pinhão, a town along the Douro River where many visitors arrive by tourist boat.

“The pressure on infrastructure is such that it becomes practically impossible to get around Pinhão during the summer,” he noted.

Many of these river tourists quickly move on to other municipalities, but, according to José Rodrigues Paredes, Alijó welcomes them, collects their municipal solid waste, supplies water to the vessels (in significant volumes), and provides electricity.

“The municipality has to bear all these costs; therefore, it must find new revenue sources to continue welcoming tourists and providing them with the highest quality service,” he emphasised.

He further noted that 50% of the revenue from the tourist tax will go to the farmers, the “creators of the landscape”, who tend the vineyards, terraces, and schist walls that were granted UNESCO status 25 years ago.

“All of this exists only because of the Douro landscape, but someone creates that landscape, someone maintains it, and someone preserves it... At the same time, we are exploring ways to eventually transfer a portion of this tax to those who actually care for our Douro landscape,” he stressed.

According to the mayor, the arrival fee for river travel will apply only to large-capacity vessels (hotel boats). The Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões, and Viana do Castelo (APDL), the entity that manages the Douro waterway, will collect it.

“It is the APDL that licenses all river activity and, therefore, knows exactly how many tourists each vessel carries. We have an understanding on this, and the APDL will be the one to collect the fee and subsequently transfer it to the municipality of Alijó,” he noted.

The Douro region has discussed implementing a fee, whether a tourist tax or a sustainability levy, to support winegrowers.

“It is true that there is no consensus; not all municipalities align with the same idea. Some advocate for a broad-based fee, potentially even managed by an external entity—something I do not agree with at all,” he stated.

José Rodrigues Paredes added that he is not alone in this decision and that neighbouring municipalities also intend to move forward with creating such a fee.

“We must move forward because the Douro region needs to provide a quality experience for those who wish to enjoy its beauty, its products, and the friendliness of its people; however, those who live here must also have the means and resources to invest and keep this region alive,” he maintained.

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