The Commercial and Industrial Association of Funchal (ACIF-CCIM) today contested the charge of three euros on seven classified walking trails in Madeira, in force since Monday, and considered the possibility of moving forward with a precautionary measure.
“We do not want to reach a situation where we have to introduce a precautionary measure so that what is set out in this regulation does not apply to economic operators from January [2025] onwards”, said the association’s president, Jorge Veiga França, stating that the Regional Government (PSD) did not respect what had been agreed in a previous meeting.
The official was speaking to journalists after a meeting with the Travel Agencies, Rent-a-Car and Tourist Entertainment sections, which took place at the headquarters of ACIF – Madeira Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in Funchal.
Jorge Veiga França explained that on April 16, a meeting took place between the association and the regional secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, Rafaela Fernandes, who oversees the Madeira Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, and that the position was “very clear” that the ordinance on charging for access to pedestrian trails would only come into force from January 1, 2025.
According to the representative, it was also decided that a protocol would be drawn up determining that individual tourists would pay the three-euro fee on seven classified routes from January onwards, with economic operators being exempt until the end of that year, to start paying only from January 2026.
“It was also agreed that not only would this protocol be signed, according to which economic operators would be exempt throughout 2025, but from now until the end of this year we [ACIF-CCIM] committed to studying an alternative to the model that was applied now”, he explained.
The president of ACIF-CCIM insists on the creation of a single tourist tax, to avoid the “birth of taxes and small taxes” and considering that, “in a land as small as Madeira, a person does not come to stay only in the place”.
“There are a number of situations that do not correspond to what was agreed [with the supervisory authority] and, given the importance of this sector, I do not see what the problem is in listening to economic operators, those who are on the ground, who know what is happening and who can help to better organise what has been happening”, he warned.
On Monday, the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation began charging a fee of three euros to non-residents on seven classified hiking trails, a measure that will cover all recommended trails from January 1, 2025, as indicated by the regional secretary.
At the time, Rafaela Fernandes explained that the so-called waste tax is charged to tourists over 12 years of age and does not apply to residents, nor to economic operators who have a protocol signed with the Forestry Institute until the end of the year.
However, according to ACIF-CCIM, there are currently only two protocols with operators, for visits to the Cabo Girão viewpoint and the Ponta de São Lourenço trail.
On Monday, the Secretary of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment explained that from January 2025 only residents will be exempt from paying the fee, which will then be charged on more than 30 classified trails under the management of the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation.
For now, the list includes the Pico do Areeiro path, the Pico Ruivo path, the Levada do Risco, the Levada do Caldeirão Verde, the Balcões path, Levada do Rei and the Ponta de São Lourenço path, and a fee of two euros was already charged for this route, now updated to three euros.
Rafaela Fernandes said that the funds will be used to clean and maintain the trails and considered that the measure is well received by tourists. Fines of up to 50 euros will be applied to those who do not pay.