Boaters and businesses sound their horns at noon each day to try and influence policy-makers
Boaters and businesses in Mallorca are currently staging a noisy protest against the unpopular 12% matriculation tax by sounding their horns at noon on every day of the ongoing Palma Boat Show.
The action is being called ‘Hoot to Boot the Mat Tax‘ and will culminate on Sunday, the last day of the boat show, with a five-minute-long toot that organisers are hoping will be heard loud and clear by policy-makers.
Hundreds of yachts and motor boats, as well as visitors to the show, have taken part in the protest, according to organisers, who spent a week handing out flyers and air horns before the event.
They say the 12% tax on private boats over 8m in length and charter boats over 15m in length is “suffocating” the nautical industry of the Balearics and should be scrapped.
Miguel Angel Santander from the Balearic Recreational Yachtsman’s Association said: “Our intention with this protest is to bring the reality of yachting in the Balearics and Spain closer to that of the rest of Europe.”
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