Porto revokes Local Lodging Establishments regulation

Porto City Council decided to revoke the creation of the Local Lodging Establishments Regulation, suspended the ban on new establishment registrations, in addition to the creation of containment areas in the historic center and Bonfim area.

This is due to the radical stop in tourism related activities, during the pandemic crisis. The proposal signed by the councillor for Economy and Tourism, Ricardo Valente, was approved this Monday at the executive's meeting, with the votes in favor of the majority that supports Rui Moreira's executive.

Thus, the decision taken in July last year, when the Porto City Council determined that all new registrations of Local Accommodation in the historic center and Bonfim area, will be revoked. The measure was approved for 6 months and extended in the same period last January, or until the conclusion of the Local Lodging Establishments Regime, not yet finalized.

In the approved proposal, Ricardo Valente justifies that «in several cities in the country, of which Porto is no exception, reservations made in tourist establishments (hotels, hostels and local accommodations) are being compulsively and massively canceled, with the vast majority of hotel units closed and entered into total or partial lay-off», recalling that the State Budget for 2020 increased to 50% the taxation of Local Lodging Establishments owners in containment areas.