Cruise visitors making only a stopover in the port of Barcelona will see a significant increase in the tourist tax. According to the agreement reached this Tuesday in the Parliament by the PSC, Esquerra Republicana, and Comuns parties, the municipal surcharge may reach 24 euros, tripling the current amount. Adding the six euros from the government's tax, the total fee for these travelers will be set at 30 euros.
The amendment to the law regulating the tourist tax will be included as a joint amendment to the budget's accompanying law and will be voted on July 2nd. This legislative change will grant the City Council of Barcelona, through the modification of fiscal ordinances, the necessary margin to increase the surcharge up to three times for cruise passengers staying less than 12 hours in the city.
The fourth deputy mayor for Economy, Treasury, Economic Promotion, and Tourism of Barcelona, Jordi Valls, defended the measure by arguing the negative impact of short-stay cruise passengers. According to Valls, these visitors spend an average of five hours in the city, generate "very significant densities" in crowded areas, make a "reduced" expenditure, and intensively consume public services. The measure is part of the government of Jaume Collboni's intention to reduce tourist overcrowding and is linked to the agreement between the Port of Barcelona and the City Council to limit the number of cruise terminals.
Tourism is important, but the residents who live in Barcelona are more important.
Valls highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy by the municipal government to contain tourist pressure, which also includes the intention to eliminate tourist apartments from 2028 onwards. For her part, Esquerra's spokesperson, Ester Capella, celebrated the agreement as a step towards sector balance, estimating that the increase would generate over 20 million euros annually, which she proposes to allocate to subsidizing school canteens. The spokesperson for Comuns in Parliament, David Cid, called for "coherence" from Jaume Collboni to apply the surcharge "as soon as possible," defending its "deterrent" intention and warning that "Barcelona is not a souvenir."
