Pestana CEO Is Against Tourist Tax & Calls For Immigrants To Provide Labor

Pestana CEO Against Any Kind Of Tourist Tax

Jornal de Negocios recently published an article, citing the CEO of Pestana Hotels, José Theotónio, saying that he opposes any kind of tourist taxes. He argues that companies already pay enough taxes and stresses the importance of considering immigrants in the hospitality sector.

Pestana CEO Says There Are Not Enough Local Residents Wanting To Work For Pestana

José Theotónio, whose Pestana group has scored an approximate net profit of 100 million euros both in 2022 and again in 2023 further says that immigrants are an absolute necessity to keep the hospitality business running.

But why is that? Maybe the Pestana minimum salary of 900 Euro plus meal allowance is somehow inconvenient for residents, as they can not make a living and demand fair salaries? Because immigrants do not know how to fight for their rights and have fewer fair opportunities on the job market?

Doing hospitality without thinking about immigrants is totally impossible
José Theotónio - Jornal de Negocios

Instead of raising the minimum salary and thus making jobs more attractive to residents, the CEO indirectly asks for the opposite: the public domain, and thus likely money funded by the taxpayer, needs to provide more housing for new immigrants to arrive in the region.

We need to establish conditions to effectively welcome people. There is work in different areas that needs to be done
José Theotónio - Jornal de Negocios

There Are Not Too Many Tourists

Despite concerns about too many tourists in Madeira, Theotónio believes the issue lies more in the concentration of tourists in certain areas rather than an overall surplus.