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A NEW Spanish tourist tax being introduced this year is set to cause a hike in holiday costs.

The rule, which will be rolled out from the start of December, could see some holidaymakers slapped with an extra fee.

Tourists visiting Spain and the Canary Islands after December 1st, 2026, may have to pay an extra new charge if they opt for self-catering accommodation.

Those staying in apartments or villas booked via the likes of Airbnb could end up shelling out for an additional 10 per cent in VAT.

The tax, brought in by the Spanish Government, applies to qualifying furnished holiday rentals in popular travel destinations such as Ibiza, Mallorca, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

Tourist accommodation in Spain has previously been exempt from VAT payments.

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Any holiday home rented for 30 nights or fewer will be subject to the tax – unless the property is the landlord’s habitual home.

The government says that the VAT measure is being brought in to help combat the housing pressures faced by Spanish residents.

The Spanish property market is currently under strain due to the high amounts of apartments and houses being bought for short-term tourist use.

The new tax may not necessarily mean that tourists are forced to pay, though as it depends if the landlord of the holiday home decides to pay the additional VAT themselves.

Tourists are being urged to double check the price of bookings made for rental holiday homes before they pay.

Those booking accommodation that could be subject to the new tax should look carefully at the price breakdown of bookings

It is wise to check whether any additional VAT is included in the cost or whether paying it on top of the original booking will be a requirement.

NEW ‘contactless’ e-gates have just been introduced at a major UK airport.

Brits returning to the UK won’t have to scan their passport in a new government scheme to speed up arrivals – and it’s now in place at Gatwick Airport.

East Midlands Airport was the first to introduce the new system on October 6, followed by Gatwick – and eventually it will be rolled out at 13 UK airports.

The contactless system is set to be up to 25 per cent faster than current e-gates.

When one writer for The Times tested out the new e-gates, she said it took just 12 seconds to get through.

How it works is that passengers will have their photo taken at an e-gate which will be checked by the system, verified against immigration, travel and passport information.

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Essentially it takes away the need to both have a picture taken and scan the passport.

Once the checks are complete, the e-gates will open automatically.

If there is a need for further checks, then passengers will need to place their passport on the reader – or they could be asked to see a Border Force officer.

Passengers are still being told to keep their passport with them at all times.

At the moment, the contactless system will be for British citizens only, but eventually could be used by other nationalities.

The other airports which will have the new e-gate system are Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, London Heathrow, London City, London Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and London Stansted.

Phil Douglas, director general of Border Force, said: “This is a win for travellers coming to our brilliant country.

“By using state-of-the-art technology, we are making journeys smoother and faster, all while fully maintaining the UK’s robust border security.

“Our digital transformation also builds on our work this summer to extend eGates to children aged eight and above, making life a little easier for families.”