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French minister calls tourism tax rise 'dangerous'

Foreign minister Laurent Fabius calls for shelving of an increase in the tax on hotel stays he says will harm attempts to promote tourism.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

With the summer travel season in full swing, the French are waging an internal war over the nation's life blood: tourism, reports USA TODAY.

Just days after French lawmakers passed a tourist tax that would raise by more than five times the hotel taxes paid by tourists, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fablus has condemned the plan, complaining that it could dampen tourism in an economy that's already spluttering.

Last week, in the French parliament's lower chamber, lawmakers from Fabius' Socialist Party initiated two increases in the tourist tax.

The new taxes could force tourists to spend up to eight euros ($10.90) a night in hotel taxes vs. the current 1.5 euros, if confirmed by the Senate.

Read more of this report from USA TODAY.

La rédaction de Mediapart

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