宿泊税大幅引き上げ案に反発　仏ホテル業界

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】フランス政府はパリ五輪が開催される来年、ホテルなどの宿泊客から徴収する宿泊税を３倍に引き上げる計画だ。宿泊業界はこれに対し、競争力が損なわれるなどとして反発している。（写真はパリオリンピック２０２４のＴシャツ〈資料写真〉）
　現行の宿泊税は施設の等級によって異なり、１人１泊当たり最低０．２５ユーロ（約４０円）、最高級ホテルでは５ユーロ（約７９０円）となっている。
　政府は２０２４年度予算案に、宿泊税を３倍に引き上げる措置を盛り込む方針。増収分は公共交通機関の整備に充当される。政府としては、クリスマス前に議会採決を経ずに成立させることを目指している。
　業界団体のＵＭＩＨとＧＮＣは声明で、宿泊税引き上げ案について「２０２４年パリ五輪に世界中の関心が集まる時に、業界の競争力とフランスのイメージに新たな打撃がもたらされることになる」と批判。宿泊税引き上げによる増収分は年間４億２３００万ユーロ（約６７０億円）に上る見込みで、公共交通機関の整備に必要とされる２億ユーロ（約３２０億円）を大幅に上回るとしている。
　業界は五輪が開催される来年７月２６日から８月１１日までの宿泊料金をすでに引き上げている。別の業界団体ＧＨＲのカトリーヌ・クラール代表は「当局は宿泊税を大幅に引き上げる一方で宿泊料金値上げを懸念し、業界を非難するつもりだ」と語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/12/20-16:56）

Paris hoteliers were up in arms on Tuesday over a government plan to triple the tax paid by visitors on nights at hotels next year when the capital hosts the Olympics.
The tourist tax in Paris now varies from 0.25 euros ($0.27) a night for the most basic accommodation to five euros ($5.5) a night for luxurious establishments.
The government is to triple that fee as part of its 2024 budget, which it plans to ram through parliament without a vote before Christmas.
It's another blow for the competitiveness of our sector as well as France's image at a time when all attention is on the Paris 2024 Olympics, the UMIH hotel and restaurant union and GNC group of hotel chains said in a statement.
The government has said the 200-percent increase in the tourist tax will help fund public transport.
The syndicates claimed it would amount to 423 million euros in tax collected a year -- far more than the 200 million euros the government and the regional transport authority have said they needed.
Catherine Querard, the president of GHR, another union representing the hospitality and catering sector, added: The authorities fear a hike in hotel prices, but they're sending the tax rate through the roof. Then they'll come and blame us.
Hotels have already increased their rates for a night during the Olympics from July 26 to August 11.
President Emmanuel Macron's government is to invoke article 49.3 of the French constitution to pass its 2024 budget without a vote.
It does not have a majority following 2022 elections and has several times used the controversial mechanism, including to enact its highly disputed pension reform earlier this year despite months of protest.
The controversy comes after regional authorities announced a sharp rise in public transport tickets for the Games, sparking anger.
The regional transport authority is to near-double metro fares for single tickets and 10-ticket passes during the Olympics.