Barcelona set to 'substantially' raise tourist tax for some visitors

Barcelona set to ‘substantially’ raise tourist tax for some visitors

Jul 21, 2024

Barcelona is set to “substantially” raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours.

It comes as anti-tourism protests have taken place across parts of Spain in recent weeks.

Jaume Collboni, the mayor of Barcelona, has confirmed the charge will be increasing but hasn’t said by how much.

The tourist tax for stopover cruise passengers is currently €7 (£6).

Mr Collboni said in an interview with El Pais newspaper: “We are going to propose… substantially increasing the tax
for stopover cruise passengers.

“In the case of stopover cruise passengers (less than 12 hours) there is intensive use of public space without any benefit for the city and a feeling of occupation and saturation. We want to have tourism that is respectful of the destination.”

Mr Collboni said tourists, not local taxpayers, should pay for local projects like air-conditioning in schools.

The proposal will have to be agreed with the Catalan regional government, the mayor added.

He announced last month that Barcelona will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move as it seeks to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city liveable for residents.

Barcelona received more than 12 million tourists in 2023 and expects more in 2024.

Earlier this month, protesters in the city sprayed tourists with water guns as part of demonstrations over the number of visitors.

Guests were also prevented from leaving their hotels when campaigners taped up exits, as thousands of people were said to have taken part in a rally against mass tourism.

Anti-tourism activists have also staged protests in other popular holiday destinations across Spain in recent weeks – including Palma, Malaga and the Canary Islands, saying visitors drive up housing costs and lead to residents being unable to afford to live in city centres.

Another protest is planned in Palma, the capital of Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, on Sunday evening.

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