Tourists flock to idyllic Moskenes in Lofoten all year round. It’s not so strange. The municipality has beautiful fishing villages, chalk-white beaches and the archipelago’s most popular mountain, Reinebringen. But behind the beautiful facade there is chaos. Vesle Moskenes, with less than 1,000 inhabitants, is struggling financially. They have been on the ROBEK list for 12 years, and the forecast for 2023 shows that they have an accumulated additional consumption of around NOK 140 million. And now they want to go “bankrupt” if they don’t get help. – Isn’t it a paradox that the municipality is so poor when it is so popular with tourists? – Yes, it is in many ways, says Moskenes mayor Hanna Sverdrup. Tourism manager Lofoten: – Not enough attention is paid to tourists Tourism manager in Lofoten, Line Renate Samuelsen, says tourism is important for Lofoten. – Not least to keep the offer of restaurants, cafes, activities and other cultural offerings open. Head of tourism at Lofoten Line Renate Samuelsen says they usually have a tourist peak in the summer, but now they also see a clear increase in the winter. – This year we have seen a big increase compared to previous years. Photo: John Inge Johansen But even if the workplaces provide tax revenue for the municipality, that is not enough for Moskenes. Business also pays corporation tax. But it does not help the poor municipality at all. It is a state tax. And it does not come back to the municipalities. – Regardless of whether all the tourists in Lofoten visit Moskenes, the municipality does not make any more money from it, says the tourism manager. Want a tourist tax The municipalities in Norway receive benefits from the state based on the number of inhabitants. The municipal treasury in Moskenes is designed for 1,000 lofotings. Not 1 million tourists. – It is a challenge. The tourists bring with them an expense that the municipalities cannot raise to cover financially, says Samuelsen. Several people who work with tourists in the Moskenes bur are not there either. Then the money will not come back there. There are also seasonal workers who pay taxes in their home municipality. The Moskenes tourist municipality receives extra costs linked to making it an attractive destination. They themselves have to make arrangements for infrastructure adapted to both summer and winter tourism. Photo: Dina Storvik / news There are also natural areas around the world that are very popular. But there is a completely different regulation. In Norway, common law applies. This means that everyone can travel freely in nature. – In Norway, the system is set up so that you can come to Lofoten without spending a penny, and still have a fantastic experience, says Samuelsen. – The situation is precarious Now the municipality is no longer able to carry out statutory tasks. They have tried to merge with both Bodø, Vestvågøy and Vågan, but all have said no. Why? Moskenes has almost 100 million in debt. This means that many residents work twice as hard to get it going. – Everyone drowns in work and has done so for a long time. The situation is precarious, says the mayor of Moskenes, Hanna Sverdrup. Mayor of Moskenes municipality, Hanna Sverdrup, says that Moskenes has tax revenue from parking fees, which they can make quite a lot of money from. At the same time, we spend a lot on tourism initiatives. Therefore, it is not enough. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news They need the expertise in the municipal ministry to find lies both in the short and long term, according to ho. – We do not get income from our adventurous surroundings. We cannot capitalize on that, says mayor Sverdrup. They think the solution is tourist tax. Moskenes is one of the municipalities most dependent on tourism in both Nordland and Norway. Therefore, they also have to maintain their reputation. It is difficult when the economy is so bad, according to the tourism manager. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news – The Lofoten Council has worked together with Destination Lofoten for many years to introduce visitor contributions, and that we should get income from those who come here, she says. It will be used for cleaning, waste management and the preparation of paths. The Minister of Industry: Wants the tourists to contribute Last year the government said that they wanted to let Lofoten be a guinea pig for tourist tax. And in February, the plans became a little more reality. The government then presented a “road map” for the tourism industry, a kind of roadmap for the government’s work with tourism policy. – I know there is a lot of interest in this and we must have a good dialogue with the industry about how the proposal can be shaped as best as possible, says Minister for Industry Jan Christian Vestre. Photo: Sissel Rikheim / news – If the tourists contribute a little extra to the splicing team, popular destinations can make things much better for both permanent residents, visitors and the business world, says Industry Minister Jan Christian Vestre. But since a national visitor’s tax on border crossings appears to be in breach of EEA law, the government has chosen a different model. The new proposal to the government is instead a surcharge on accommodation in combination with tourist taxes on parking and cruises. – If we could have taken an entrance ticket to the Reinebringen, it would have helped a lot. But it is an open air area. The Outdoor Activities Act regulates the extent to which entrance fees can be charged, says Samuelsen. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news – We depend on visitor contributions to be able to offer good offers. Because if we can’t handle rubbish, it’s not pleasant to either come here or live here, says Mayor Sverdrup in Lofoten. But NHO Reiseliv does not agree. They do not think it is right to try to solve the municipality’s money problem with what accounts for a large part of the municipality’s income: – The whole premise for visitor contributions is about limiting over-tourism which is linked to cruise island hikes, or motorhomes that create parking difficulties. This proposal does not affect this group. – What the government is proposing is the exact opposite of all the professional advice that has been recorded, among other things, through the Travel Destinations Committee’s call, says Kristin Krohn Devold. Photo: Per-Ivar Kvalsvik / news That’s what Kristin K. Devold of NHO Reiseliv says, says it’s not right to add an extra fee for hotel accommodation. – This is just another tax from the government on those who create value and jobs, and does not contribute to sustainable tourism, she says. Vestre promises that the government will invite business and municipalities to a dialogue about the further work on the bill. The proposal is then sent for consultation.
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How can the tourist municipality be so poor? – news Nordland
