A colossal amount or one less cup of coffee: The government's proposal for a cruise tax divides passengers
As part of the budget proposal, the government suggests that cruise passengers should be charged a fee of 200 kroner when they disembark in Denmark.
MSC Euribia is currently anchored in Nordhavn in Copenhagen. This morning it arrived from Germany, and this evening it will sail on towards Amsterdam in the Netherlands. (© DR)
By
Emma Klitnæs ( [email protected] ) 32 minutes ago
The cruise ship MSC Euribia sailed into Copenhagen Harbor on Sunday morning and dropped anchor at Oceankaj in Nordhavn.
The ship comes from Kiel in Germany and will sail on to Amsterdam this evening before heading towards Spain.
But before MSC Euribia sails out of Copenhagen Harbor again, the approximately 2,500 passengers have the opportunity to spend the day in the Danish capital.
Right now, it is completely free, but if the government has its way, it will cost 200 kroner per person to step ashore in Denmark from 2028. An amount intended to compensate for noise, congestion, and pollution.
The government expects that this will generate 300 million kroner annually for the state treasury, considering the increasing number of ships docking in Denmark.
However, the proposal has faced criticism from several quarters. Among others, from the Danish Chamber of Commerce and the Confederation of Danish Industry, as well as Aarhus Harbor and VisitAarhus, who fear that the city will miss out on significant revenue if cruise tourists are charged an extra fee.
Read also: Cruise tax sparks major criticism: '200 kroner per passenger is steep' ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/krydstogtafgift-giver-stor-kritik-200-kroner-per-passager-er-voldsomt )
However, SF's finance and tax spokesperson, Sofie Lippert, is not too concerned about that.
"We are of course focused on ensuring that this does not mean that cities that benefit from increased tourism lose that tourism. We will certainly follow up on it, but I really don't believe that 200 kroner to call at a port will make cruise tourists no longer want to visit Denmark," says Sofie Lippert, who is also chair of the tax committee.
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'You know that traveling costs something'
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Several passengers on the MSC Euribia say that 200 kroner – or 27 euros – would not make much of a difference.
That is what, for example, German Michael Tristram says.
Likewise, real estate agent Tiffany Stoop, who lives in Spain but is originally from Belgium, says it is not decisive.
She would have to buy one less cup of coffee, but that is a price she is willing to pay – and one she has experienced having to pay elsewhere.
At the same time, she points out that there must be a reason for such a fee being added.
A point that two Danish passengers, whom DR's reporter met at Oceankaj, also recognize.
"I think it's fair enough. It pollutes like crazy, so I think it's okay," says educator Trine Zøllner.
Construction consultant Kenneth Fransen similarly points out that if you can afford the luxury of going on a cruise, you can also afford to pay something for the pollution it causes.
On board MSC Euribia, there is space for a total of 6,300 passengers who can enjoy themselves on the cruise ship's ten different restaurants and 21 bars and cafés when they are not, for example, in the theater, the casino, the spa, or any of the numerous shops on the indoor promenade.
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'Not good news'
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But while some think the fee is reasonable, Spanish doctor Rosa Monzón says they already pay a lot of money for the trip, and the extra amount could make her choose to skip a stop in Denmark.
South African pastor Thinus Van Staden agrees that it could potentially be the deciding factor. He points out that for someone like him coming from an African country, it is "a colossal amount."
And while an Irish passenger says a smaller fee would be reasonable, but that 200 kroner is on the high end, Sergio Cardoso from Portugal says it is completely wrong if the Danish government introduces such a fee.
Whether it will cost a little extra to visit Denmark as a cruise tourist from 2028 remains to be seen. For now, it is just a budget proposal, and negotiations typically continue until mid-December before the final budget is passed.
Here are the most important points in the government's budget proposal ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/her-er-de-vigtigste-punkter-i-finansloven )
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