«Currently, the city council is planning to discuss this issue on February 29,» said Gintare Butkene, a representative from the municipality’s communication department.
The municipality notes that the collected funds will be used to enhance the city’s attractiveness to tourists, improve and update tourist infrastructure, implement measures to reduce the seasonality of tourism, and enhance the quality of tourism and cultural services.
The accommodation fee will not exceed the cost of 1 month (per person), and certain groups such as schoolchildren, individuals under 18 years old, and individuals whose rehabilitation is covered by the health insurance fund will be exempt from paying it.
Groups renting more than 10 rooms will not be required to pay the accommodation fee.
According to the project, this fee is expected to generate around 800,000 euros per year.
A similar fee is already being collected in Trakai District, Palanga, and Klaipeda (2 euros), and Vilnius (1 euro). In Kaunas, the fee is 2 euros per day for up to 7 nights or 1 euro for 8 nights or more.
An electronic system is planned to be implemented for the convenience of collecting the tax, similar to the one in Kaunas. It will cost 42,000 euros (with an additional 9,000 euros per year for maintenance).