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Tagged With "tourism taxes"

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Re: Iceland: 'No we're not Disneyland'

GarryRF ·
Now that Rekyjavik is on the European Budget Airlines destinations list its hard to avoid a rush. It was one of those places you wouldn't visit unless you had a business interest and an expenses account. They're still advertising Iceland on TV, so someone must be pleased with the extra income tourism brings.
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Re: Iceland: 'No we're not Disneyland'

DrFumblefinger ·
Iceland is a great destination, but it has limited tourist facilities. The population of the entire island is about 300,000 and there aren't all that many hotel or B&B choices in smaller places. I think the lack of infrastructure is the main problem. They certainly have the space and ability to handle more tourists, but need to develop services for them outside Reykjavik.
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Re: Arriving in Venice, 1960

George G. ·
Almost a Big Mistake in Venice. I remember taking my daughter to Venice for her birthday then buying a $750 ring for her in one of the jewelry stores. The owner told me I could get the tax refunded from the government and he said it would be about $700. I said that is almost the entire price of the ring, then he told me the ring was $7,500 because I converted the Lira wrongly on my calculator due to many Lira zeroes with that currency. She did get a ring but not that one.
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Re: Just how much tax is in your ticket?

Ron B. ·
My recent, free Air France ticket - LA to Paris to Barcelona and then Venice to Paris to LA the tax was $577.97.
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Re: Just how much tax is in your ticket?

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by Ron B.: My recent, free Air France ticket - LA to Paris to Barcelona and then Venice to Paris to LA the tax was $577.97. That's a lot of travel, Ron, but it certainly makes one relook at the definition of "free".
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Re: Has the Revolution Started? Ryanair allows 2nd bag and reduces fee

GarryRF ·
The intention is to increase the profitability of Ryanair. For the first half of 2013-14, it announced revenue up 5% to €3.25bn and profit after tax rising 1% to €602m.
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Re: Biggest Apple Ever: NY Gets 54M Tourists, Expects More!

DrFumblefinger ·
Are you sure that number is correct? Paris does just over 20 million visitors a year.
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Re: Biggest Apple Ever: NY Gets 54M Tourists, Expects More!

Paul Heymont ·
We'd have to compare the methods used by the two cities in counting. Tourism figures are notoriously difficult (are business travelers disaggregated? Regional visitors? etc.) It's possible that if Paris used the NY methodology, it would have a much larger figure.
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Re: Biggest Apple Ever: NY Gets 54M Tourists, Expects More!

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by PHeymont: We'd have to compare the methods used by the two cities in counting. Tourism figures are notoriously difficult (are business travelers disaggregated? Regional visitors? etc.) It's possible that if Paris used the NY methodology, it would have a much larger figure. Gotcha. A bit of an apples and oranges comparison. Sort of whether to count all migratory birds or only the snowbirds.
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Re: Budget Deal Asks Air Passengers to Pay More

DrFumblefinger ·
This is a massive tax increase hidden as a "small fee". There are millions of people flying every day and paying already steep prices for tickets. I can't see this helping air travel or the economy in any way.
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Re: Budget Deal Asks Air Passengers to Pay More

Travel Rob ·
I especially don't like it that they call it a fee- so members of Congress can keep their pledge not to raise taxes.The above Forbes link was good to compare it to the gas tax. This reminds me of a Simpson episode where Lisa( in Barts vision) is President. she is told to call a massive tax hike a refund adjustment.
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Re: Budget Deal Asks Air Passengers to Pay More

JohnT ·
Ok...I'll bite. I think we have got to realize that air fares are cheaper than ever before, and like it or not security is a much needed part of traveling today. Generally I favour user pay taxes where possible and the U.S. federal government is in no position to subsidize much of anything right now. As far as what to call it... the names that taxes are given bug me too...but I think the public is at least partly to blame for that as well...because if you called it a tax, then there surely...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 8, 2013: Cologne, Germany

Paul Heymont ·
The picture reminds me of similarly-colorful rows of small buildings in Nyhavn (Copenhagen) and on Bryggen (in Oslo). There must be something to the width-and-taxes idea, because it's certainly been true elsewhere. In New York, from colonial times until the early 20th-century, the number of windows affected the property tax rate, and it was only 2009 when the city ended the practice of basing the water rates on "frontage."
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 8, 2013: Cologne, Germany

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks for the note, Pheymont. I saw the main BANK OF IRELAND building in Dublin a few days, which is windowless. All the window spaces were filled in with rock (in a tasteful manner). Seems the government decided to levy a window tax. The company responded in kind.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,

GarryRF ·
Starting to get things planned now Hank ! You have the choice of flying into Edinburgh in Scotland. Manchester in the North of England. Or Gatwick / Heathrow which both serve the London area in the South of England. You can get a Train to Paris to end your tour with a few days of Culture in a foreign language ! Fly back to the US from Paris will save you hundreds of Dollars because you wont pay the UK "Departure Tax" but not vital ! Liverpool is less than an hour on the Train from...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,

Hank ·
Wow, this is turning into a real education!! I checked with my uncle and yes, I can fly Chicago to Manchester and return from either London or Paris to Chicago. The ticket is free to him and he said he would cover any fees as a "graduation gift to me" (he's a pretty cool dude!), but I don't want to burden him with a heavy departure fee, so maybe Paris would be the way to go. I'd like to leave about Friday, May 9th and return 4 weeks later, June 6th. A few days later and returning a few days...
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Re: Greek debt deal will raise taxes on tourists

DrFumblefinger ·
It will definitely hurt tourism, especially for those who want to stay awhile and relax in Greece. The increase in food and accommodations will take a bite out of most budgets. It won't hurt the cruiseship travelers, though.
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Re: 10 Most Popular Tourist Attractions in Udaipur

Professorabe ·
Excellent tips with very useful practical information. Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities in Rajasthan.
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Re: 10 Most Popular Tourist Attractions in Udaipur

Abhishekk Mathur ·
Thanks a lot for the kind words.... Regards
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Re: U.S. on track to record for overseas visitors

Travel Rob ·
It's really amazing because the US dollar has done so well in 2014 compared to most currencies . I'm not surprised at all that Japanese tourists to the US decreased after the hit the Yen been taking, but i guess thats been more than made up in increased travel from travelers from Brazil,Mexico and China
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Re: U.S. on track to record for overseas visitors

Paul Heymont ·
Actually, what surprises me is that overseas tourists keep coming, despite the terrible attitude so many of them encounter from airport Customs and Immigration people, and the whole visa issue.
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Re: U.S. on track to record for overseas visitors

DrFumblefinger ·
The post indicates the biggest growth comes from China and Brazil. Folks in those countries are used to their governments treating them poorly. The TSA/Immigration probably seems like business as usual to them. Just my humble opinion.
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

PortMoresby ·
Everything you say, P, is logical and fair. The problem becomes compliance and enforcement, not a separate issue. A segment of people will always try to game the system and it's impossible to enforce these kinds of regulations in such a complex and populous place. Even here, where I live in a relatively rural place, I suspect I'm the only one in a large county collecting and paying the short-term occupancy tax. I do it, not because I'm honest, but because I don't want to think about possible...
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

PortMoresby ·
I missed something...what taxes do they collect? None in my case. I collect it, include the bed tax in my price, which Airbnb gives to me in their payment, and I file a return with the county quarterly when I pay them. Income reported to IRS, but my responsibility to pay any tax due. But I think the rest is reasonable. No requirement that Airbnb enforce anything except in response to local authorities that a rental is illegal. In theory, they already remove substandard listings, so much the...
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

PortMoresby ·
I'd love it if they collected the bed tax here. Since they don't, and it's my impression that few here pay it, including it as part of my fee creates an imbalance for me, making it appear as though I'm getting more than I do. I state the breakdown in my listing but hardly anyone actually reads the listings. If they collected it, it would give a fair comparison of the room rate with the taxes added on at the end, as the fees are now. I think, though, despite what seems a good idea from the...
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Re: Spain's booming tourism hits record numbers

DrFumblefinger ·
Most countries would envy Spain this particular problem. Given how week other aspects of their economy are, I can't see the government putting a stop on this, despite the actions of some mayors. I'd suggest they look at diverting tourists to less traveled parts of the country. Spain is a large place and there are lots of places tourists hardly ever go.
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Re: South Dakota (yes!) has booming tourist year

DrFumblefinger ·
The western part of the state is really beautiful, and the plains have their own magic. I'm not surprised by this news. There's a lot to see and do in "flyover country".
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Re: New York Taxis Debut App to Compete with Uber

Paul Heymont ·
Well, even without the app, it's not like the fa e is a blind guess, either. There's a meter, and a rate based on miles and time...just like almost every other big city. And there are online calculators such as WorldTaxi which will tell you about what a specific trip should cost, It's not that there aren't things that could improve, but Uber is no improvement, with its cavalier attitudes (surge pricing, drivers stiffed on rates, lack of or inadequate insurance) and its not paying its share...
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

Paul Heymont ·
Well, it was an encouragingly diverse mix of faces and places, I'll say that...but being annoyed that people from elsewhere don't know how to pronounce street names? That's a little OTT.
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

DrFumblefinger ·
I find the guy bothered by people stopping to take photos a charmer. Hope I don't run into him over there, but I'm never without a camera when I'm abroad. When I see a tourist taking a photo either in Calgary or nearby Rocky Mountains, I'm always intrigued by what their subject matter is and the angle of how they're capturing the image -- that sort of thing. Hardly a bother!! I guess they don't realize how important we tourists are to the economy. According to Visit Britain website, tourism...
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

Paul Heymont ·
Well, I can see both sides (and have been on both sides). When I stop to take a picture I try to stay out of the way of people trying to pass by...and when the shoe is on the other foot, I try to leave room to avoid ruining someone's picture. A little bit of common courtesy all around makes it all (generally) work...
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

GarryRF ·
The first thing that surprises me on this blog is how eager people are to believe any of the pure drivel that film makers produce. Yahoo send a team to London to be controversial. That's the script. They don't want to tell a story of people who are just like the folks you left behind in America. No. That's not going to grab anyone's attention. PHeymont has lived in both countries and knowingly avoids such divisive journalism. Wherever you travel in the world you find people who are giving ,...
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

TravelGirlJenn ·
Interesting. I work in San Francisco near the Ferry Building and frequently jaunt down to Pier 39 on my lunch break for exercise. Tourist alley, especially now that they have a new cruise terminal between the Ferry Building and Pier 39. Just today I nearly fell into a couple who stopped to take a picture of Coit Tower, speaking in an English accent. I moved on and got out of their way. 'Tis different when the shoe is on another foot, I suppose.
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

GarryRF ·
It's been more than 50 years since the book "The Ugly American" was published. Does he still exist ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzsBh2WsFCQ
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

Paul Heymont ·
Like all myths exaggerated with a grain of truth or not, he lives on, along with his companions the Snobby Brit, the Nasty Frenchman, the Pushy German and all the rest. These days, it’s easy to find articles creating new misconceptions about Japanese and Chinese tourists. Point being, whatever these so-called “national characters” are, they are built on ignorance and prejudice; it is one of the great things about travel that they seldom survive actual experience.
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Re: How to Irk the Brits

GarryRF ·
As always Paul... the voice of reason. Thank you !
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Re: Ferry Service to Cuba Approved by US

GarryRF ·
I hope so Paul. I'm happy to take stuff that I don't use anymore. I'm sure their families living in the US bring clothes and shoes. Medicines too. And of course cash. Did you know the Cubans have to pay income tax on gifts from their family ?
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Re: Tanzania 'Clean Cookstove' project: hope and health

GarryRF ·
Airlines are paying for efficient cooking areas and wood burning stoves as a way of reducing their "Carbon Footprint" on the planet. Green Tax being used to pay for smoke reduction.
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Re: Tanzania 'Clean Cookstove' project: hope and health

Marilyn Jones ·
It's a wonderful program. I am The cookstoves are such a wonderful way to help the Tanzanian people. It's great airlines are supporting it as well!
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Re: New routes give Denmark big tourism boost

Travel Rob ·
It's good news for travelers and for Denmark. It shows budget travelers do contribute too. I haven't been to Denmark yet but I thought Sweden was very reasonable. Now Norway is pricey, but its so well worth seeing.
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Re: Rome fountain foot-wash costs €900 fine

DrFumblefinger ·
That's almost €50 a digit! I knew the Italians would find a way to tax toes one day.
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Re: We're more than Tokyo, Japan tells tourists

Travel Rob ·
Tokyo can be a very intimidating city for a traveler because of it's massive and crowded metro system and it's lack of English speakers. I think that's why more people don't venture out past the tourist sights in Tokyo.
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Re: We're more than Tokyo, Japan tells tourists

HS ·
A few simple items to remember when transiting Tokyo ... In Tokyo, JR/Subway maps are available for the asking (FREE from the station attendant) with stations listed in either English or in Japanese. Get a copy of both. Have someone write your destination in Japanese. When approaching someone on the street with a "Please direct me towards xxxx" written in Japanese I have ALWAYS been given good directions. (A mix of English and Japanese does NOT often work) This includes traveling solo in...
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Re: We're more than Tokyo, Japan tells tourists

Travel Rob ·
US News published a story by the AP on problems that were occurring with increased tourism in Tokyo. http://www.usnews.com/news/bus...articles/2015/06/18/
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Re: Guide to Greek Holidays, Summer 2015-style

DrFumblefinger ·
That's all good information, PHeymont, thanks. No one knows how the Greek people will react to this, but there is a possibility of riots and demonstrations. Perhaps violence -- there is no way of predicting. The crisis will have a major impact on the Greek quality of life. I've heard some estimates that if Greece makes a new currency, it will have only a fraction of the buying power of the Euro, perhaps 25 cents on the Euro. That will obviously not be at all well received but its much too...
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Re: Chip Credit Cards to Change the Way US Tips at Restaurants

Paul Heymont ·
Actually, that's only one way of looking at it...another is that it may push many people (I included) to resume cash tips. The "convenient" suggested amounts, which even now appear on many slips can be very deceptive, both because they usually place the normal or usual amount as if it were the lowest "acceptable" amount, but also because often—not always—they calculate percent not on the restaurant bill but on the total of the bill plus tax. The difference can be significant. Interestingly,...
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Re: IRS gains power to get passports cancelled

GarryRF ·
There are so many business men into Tax Avoidance schemes that the Government cant watch them all. So I suppose a warning off Uncle Sam saying - " Hey - I'm serious - behave or I'll ground you" could stop their lavish life styles. If everyone paid their Tax due notice then we wouldn't have all the cutbacks on services.
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Re: Britain's #1 attraction: The British Museum

GarryRF ·
Another "Best of Britain" survey that doesn't see beyond London. The Albert Dock in Liverpool has 6.3 Million visitors per annum - and not a mention. The Albert Dock is a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.
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Re: Have you a reservation, sir? Thailand considers selling tickets to country!

PortMoresby ·
I consider it infinitely better to pay a relatively small fee to enter the country than to go through hoops & bother for a visa as we must for a number of Asian countries. Thailand was the first, and I think the only country, where I was required to stop at a booth to pay a departure tax upon leaving the country by air so what possible difference if we pay coming or going (or both?). And I actually prefer the idea of an up front fee rather than having it buried as taxes that can increase...
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Re: Worlds Cheapest Phone?

GarryRF ·
Nope - you're still spending $9.95. Is that plus Tax ? 2 phones is just being greedy ! $8 still gets you a NEW disposable phone that works across Europe !
 
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