Barcelona to increase taxes of cruise passengers amid mass tourism problems
Barcelona, the capital of Spain's Catalonia region, is looking into raising the tourist tax for cruise passengers visiting for less than 12 hours to "tackle the consequences of mass tourism," which has affected the city's housing situation and sparked protests from locals.
The Guardian, citing local newspaper El País, reported that Mayor Jaume Collboni seeks to raise the tax cruise passengers pay, which is at 7 euros (P440) a day to date, to ensure the city profited properly from their brief visits.
Collboni didn't say how much additional tax would be imposed, though studies had already been commissioned.
“Barcelona is a city that’s open to visitors and tourism is an important sector of its economy,” Collboni told the newspaper. “That said, I’m determined to tackle the consequences that mass tourism is having for the city."
Collboni noted the tax increase wasn't meant to deter cruise visitors but to ensure they paid their way and generated revenue that could used in the city's projects.
The mayor previously said he'd end apartment rentals to tourists by 2028 by scrapping the licenses of the 10,101 properties currently approved as short-term rentals.
“When it comes to a choice between tourists using housing and the right to housing, we’ve decided to put the right to housing in Barcelona first,” Collboni told the newspaper.
“When it comes to stopover cruise passengers—less than 12 hours—you get an intensive use of public space without any benefit to the city and you get a feeling of occupation and saturation," he added. "We want a tourism that respects its destination.”
Collboni noted the ban on apartments won't put off visitors, as Barcelona and the surrounding area have sufficient hotel capacity.
Spain, which has a population of 47 million as of 2023, got a record 85.1 million international tourists.
The recent months saw protests on the mainland and in the Balearic Islands and the Canaries, according to The Guardian.
NBC News reported that last July 10, thousands marched through the streets of Barcelona and sprayed visitors with water guns.
They clapped and chanted, "Tourists go home!" and carried signs anti-tourist slogans.
Barcelona is one of the most renowned attractions in West Europe, home to sites like La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudi.
It also has glittering beaches, mild and warm climates, historical monuments, and gastronomical delights.
The city served as the setting of the 2016 movie Barcelona: A Love Untold starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla.