Northern Switzerland Aargau government wants to examine a guest tax to promote tourism

In the canton of Aargau, the cantonal government wants to examine the creation of a legal basis for a guest tax. The money should enable new offers for tourism. However, the cantonal government sees organizational hurdles, as it states in a statement on the request by the Centre and SP parliamentary groups.

A guest tax could create the financial basis for the further development of the tourism region and for new offers, the cantonal government wrote in the statement published on Friday. A guest tax could also trigger a dynamic that would have a positive impact on the perception of the canton beyond tourism.

According to the cantonal government, the canton of Aargau counts around 800,000 overnight hotel stays per year and many day visitors. The thermal towns of Rheinfelden, Bad Zurzach and Baden have introduced municipal taxes for tourists.

Various cantons have introduced a guest tax in recent years. These include the cantons of Thurgau, Nidwalden and, a few years ago, the canton of Basel-Landschaft.

Aargau is expanding its offer

The government council went on to write that the Aargau Tourism organization, together with the regional and local tourism organizations, has done important work in recent years in the marketing and development of the Aargau tourism region.

Aargau has further potential with its tourism offerings in areas such as nature, wellbeing and culture. The cantonal government therefore wants to examine the creation of a legal basis. It should be clarified whether there should be a communal or cantonal tax or whether a combination would lead to the goal.

Center and SP see Aargau as a "pleasure canton"

In their motion, the Center and SP parliamentary groups stated that Aargau had increasingly been able to develop as a "canton of culture, leisure and enjoyment with a high degree of authenticity" between the metropolises of Basel and Zurich.

A guest tax was generally accepted and did not trigger any negative attitudes. The local population would also benefit from the additional money for leisure activities. If Aargau were to introduce such a tax, this would bring equal rights for all guests and municipalities within Aargau and compared to other cantons.

SDA