Barcelona Mayor Proposes Significant Tourist Tax Increase for Cruise Ship Passengers
Barcelona Mayor, Jaume Collboni, has announced plans to «significantly» increase the tourist tax for cruise ship passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours. This decision comes in the midst of protests against mass tourism in Spain in recent weeks, according to Sky News.
«We are going to propose a significant tax increase for cruise passengers with short stops in the port,» Mr. Collboni said in an interview with El Pais.
The mayor justifies this decision by stating that short stops by cruise ships lead to intensive use of public space without a significant contribution to the local budget and create a sense of overcrowding and excess.
«We want tourism to be respectful to our cities,» the mayor added.
Plans to Utilize Tax Revenue for Local Projects
Collboni also emphasized that he plans to use the increased tax revenue to support local projects, such as installing air conditioning in schools. This decision must be approved by the regional government of Catalonia, the mayor added.
Recent Measures to Curb Rising Housing Prices
Last month, the mayor of Barcelona announced a ban on renting apartments to tourists until 2028, which is a radical step to curb rising housing prices and maintain the city’s attractiveness for residents. In 2023, Barcelona was visited by over 12 million tourists, and this year even more are expected.
Recently, protesters in the city have sprayed water at tourists with water guns during demonstrations against overcrowding. There have also been reports of activists blocking hotel exits and thousands of people participating in protests against mass tourism.
In recent weeks, anti-tourism activists have held protests in other popular tourist destinations in Spain, including Majorca, Malaga, and the Canary Islands, expressing anger over rising housing prices and lack of access to local housing.
