Currently set at €7 per day.
The Catalan metropolis of Barcelona will raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers who visit the city for less than 12 hours, as announced by Mayor Jaume Collboni in an interview with El País on Sunday. This report is based on information from Reuters.
Currently, the tourist tax for transit passengers in Barcelona is €7 per day. While Mayor Collboni did not specify the exact increase, he emphasized the need for a substantial rise.
“We are planning to propose a significant increase in the tax for transit passengers,” he stated. He justified this by pointing out that passengers who spend less than 12 hours in the city heavily utilize public spaces without contributing meaningfully to the local economy. According to him, tourists should also contribute to local projects, not just the local taxpayers.
“We want tourism that respects the destination,” Collboni added.
The city will need to negotiate the proposed tax increase with the Catalan regional government, Collboni mentioned.
In recent weeks, activists have organized protests against tourists in popular holiday destinations across Spain, including Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, and the Canary Islands. They argue that accommodation platforms are driving up housing costs, making it unaffordable for locals to live in city centers.
Another protest is scheduled for Sunday evening in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the largest Balearic Island.
Last month, Collboni announced that the city would ban short-term rentals to tourists by 2028, a surprisingly drastic measure. This initiative aims to curb soaring housing costs and make the city more livable for its residents.
