Barcelona's cruise tax hike: Mayor aims to curb mass tourism

In a Sunday interview, the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, revealed that he plans to raise the tourist tax for cruise ship passengers staying in the city for less than 12 hours. It's a new idea to curb mass tourism, which Spain is battling.

The announcement of the fee increase came a few weeks after protests swept through Barcelona. According to the portal dw.com, residents chanted "tourists go home!" and sprayed visitors with water.

We intend to propose a significant increase in the tax for cruise passengers, announced the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, in an interview with the newspaper "El Pais".

Currently, the rate is €7 per day, but no specific amount was mentioned for the proposed increase.

According to data from the portal statista.com, Barcelona recorded the highest number of cruise passengers last year - about 3.6 million.

According to the mayor, the city gains nothing from short visits, while tourists use Barcelona's public space. "We want tourism that respects the destination," he explained.

The mayor's proposal still needs to be approved by Catalonia's authorities. However, this is not the only idea that limits mass tourism. Last month, Collboni assured that by 2028, he would ban tourists from renting private apartments.

However, not only Barcelona residents are fed up with the crowds. Popular tourist spots like Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, and the Canary Islands have also protested the influx of tourists.

Just two months ago, around 10,000 people took to the streets of Mallorca's capital with slogans such as "Enough!" and "Mallorca is not for sale!" More protests are scheduled for Sunday, 21 July 2024.

Tourists are often blamed for the sharp decline in living standards. Residents argue that visitors cause price hikes, including housing. Some places are also struggling with so-called party tourism.

Tourism is crucial for Mallorca, accounting for 45% of the island's economic output. However, many argue that only a minority benefits from this sector, while the vast majority suffer from low wages, face housing shortages, and deal with traffic jams, noise, and pollution.

Let's remember that Venice has taken drastic steps to limit the influx of tourists. In April 2024, a pilot program began, stipulating that an entrance fee of €5 is charged to enter the city. This applies to those who do not intend to stay overnight in Venice.

On the day the new rules came into effect, 15,000 people paid the fee. Overall, in the first two days after the regulations were introduced, 38,000 tourists paid the entrance fee to the city on water. Over 16,000 people were checked during the inspections.