4 ms·

> ultimately the solution of taxing tourists does not work well in practice. Got any examples? Many cities in the world have tourism taxes, charged as a per-ni

> ultimately the solution of taxing tourists does not work well in practice. Got any examples? Many cities in the world have tourism taxes, charged as a per-night fee added to hotel bills. Miami has a beach fee for tourists. Somehow, despite no income tax, Miami manages to stay solvent.

andrewflnr 8y ago
I don't think Miami is worried about becoming reduced to just tourism (aren't they already?), so it's not really a counterexample to GP's point. Ed: explicitness
- linkregister 8y ago
  Tourism is the primary component of Miami's economy, though it is hardly the only sector. International trade and banking together occupy a larger proportion of Miami's economy. http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Miami-Economy.html http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Miami-Economy.h...
yardie 8y ago
Just a small correction. Miami has a hotel bed tax, not a beach fee. I have friends and family that visit and stay with us regularly. They have never been charged to stay with me nor go to the beach. Compared to the rest of the tourist traps down here the beach is one of the best values. As for the cities of Miami and Miami Beach being solvent, LOL. Depends on who you ask. There is never enough money for the things we need (public transport, housing, education) yet plenty of money for things we never asked for (stadiums, Amazon HQ2).
- linkregister 8y ago
  If you are staying at a hotel and want to use its beach chair, you are charged a usage tax. It's somewhere around $10.
  - yardie 8y ago
    Which I think is fair. The hotels have basically staked out a part of the public beach to put their chairs and umbrellas on, indefinitely. This takes space away from the public use.
    - linkregister 8y ago
      I agree. The subject is tourism taxes, which the original parent poster claimed did not work. I asked for evidence and provided a direct counterexample, with no avail.
mrep 8y ago
> Many cities in the world have tourism taxes, charged as a per-night fee added to hotel bills. How do they differentiate between business travelers and tourists or do they just pass on the fees to both?

andrewflnr 8y ago

I don't think Miami is worried about becoming reduced to just tourism (aren't they already?), so it's not really a counterexample to GP's point. Ed: explicitness

linkregister 8y ago
Tourism is the primary component of Miami's economy, though it is hardly the only sector. International trade and banking together occupy a larger proportion of Miami's economy. http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Miami-Economy.html http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Miami-Economy.h...

yardie 8y ago

Just a small correction. Miami has a hotel bed tax, not a beach fee. I have friends and family that visit and stay with us regularly. They have never been charged to stay with me nor go to the beach. Compared to the rest of the tourist traps down here the beach is one of the best values. As for the cities of Miami and Miami Beach being solvent, LOL. Depends on who you ask. There is never enough money for the things we need (public transport, housing, education) yet plenty of money for things we never asked for (stadiums, Amazon HQ2).

linkregister 8y ago
If you are staying at a hotel and want to use its beach chair, you are charged a usage tax. It's somewhere around $10.
- yardie 8y ago
  Which I think is fair. The hotels have basically staked out a part of the public beach to put their chairs and umbrellas on, indefinitely. This takes space away from the public use.
  - linkregister 8y ago
    I agree. The subject is tourism taxes, which the original parent poster claimed did not work. I asked for evidence and provided a direct counterexample, with no avail.

mrep 8y ago

> Many cities in the world have tourism taxes, charged as a per-night fee added to hotel bills. How do they differentiate between business travelers and tourists or do they just pass on the fees to both?