Barcelona is tackling the issue of mass tourism by implementing a new measure to raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers. City Mayor Jaume Collboni announced that the increased tax will target visitors staying in the city for less than 12 hours, as part of a broader strategy to manage the adverse effects of over-tourism. Since taking office, Collboni has introduced several initiatives to address tourism-related challenges, including plans to end short-term apartment rentals to tourists by 2028. This involves revoking licenses for 10,101 currently approved tourist apartments.
The current tax for cruise passengers is €7 (£6) per day, but Collboni is committed to raising it significantly for short-term visitors. He noted that short-term cruise passengers often use public spaces extensively without contributing to the city’s revenue, which exacerbates overcrowding.
Read More: Toyota Pakistan Launches Land Cruiser Prado with Surprising Price
Collboni emphasized that the goal is not to discourage cruise tourism but to ensure that tourists contribute fairly to the city’s revenue, which could fund projects like air conditioning in schools. He did not specify the exact amount of the tax increase but mentioned that studies are underway. The move comes amid a backdrop of increased tourism in Spain, which saw a record 85.1 million international tourists last year, leading to protests across various regions due to the unchecked growth of tourism.
