Barcelona to Hike Tourist Tax for Cruise Passengers

Barcelona plans to significantly increase the tourist tax for cruise passengers staying for less than 12 hours, according to Mayor Jaume Collboni. The hike aims to curb intensive public space usage without benefiting the city. Collboni emphasized that tourists should fund local projects, not taxpayers.

Barcelona will raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours, the mayor said in an interview on Sunday. Jaume Collboni stated that the current tourist tax for stopover cruise passengers is 7 euros ($7.61) per day. Although he did not specify the new rate, the increase is expected to be substantial.

"We are going to propose...substantially increasing the tax for stopover cruise passengers," Collboni told El Pais newspaper. "These visitors use public space intensively without benefiting the city, creating a sense of occupation and saturation. We want tourism that respects its destination."

Collboni emphasized that tourists, rather than local taxpayers, should pay for local projects such as air-conditioning schools. The proposal must be agreed upon with the Catalan regional government, he added.

In recent weeks, anti-tourism activists have protested in popular holiday destinations across Spain, including Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, and the Canary Islands. They argue that tourists drive up housing costs and make it unaffordable for locals to live in city centres. Another protest is planned in Palma de Mallorca's capital on Sunday evening.

Last month, Collboni announced that the city would bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028. This drastic measure aims to control soaring housing costs and improve liveability for residents. ($1 = 0.9194 euros)

(With inputs from agencies.)