Sabadell City Council will join the changes in the tourism tax, following the law approved by the Parliament of Catalonia last February. Until now, only Barcelona could apply its own surcharge, but this option now extends to all municipalities. It is estimated that the council could collect approximately half a million euros in additional revenue once the measure is implemented. The fiscal ordinance has been approved provisionally and, after a period for objections, will be definitively approved in the coming months.
Lluís Matas, spokesperson for Junts per Sabadell, defended the proposal, highlighting the promotion of quality tourism during his time in government. He pointed out that with current full hotel occupancy, the tax will not discourage tourism but rather encourage a positive image of the city. Until June 30th, the tax was 1.2 euros per night in hotels and 60 cents in tourist accommodations; these figures will now double without affecting competitiveness.
The Councilor for Economic Services, Antonio Rodríguez Galián (PSC), emphasized the government's commitment to tourism but stressed that increased tourism activity leads to higher municipal expenses that should not fall solely on residents. From ERC, Sílvia Renom supported the surcharge, arguing that the costs of tourism should also be borne by visitors. Renom requested clarification on the destination of the additional funds, while Galián admitted that there is no clear estimate, although the law stipulates that funds should be allocated to housing policies and sustainable tourism promotion.
Mena (SECP) expressed support for the tax, noting that municipalities like Barcelona, Badalona, and L'Hospitalet already apply it, and announced the submission of objections. Oriol Rifer (Crida) views the tax favorably but advocates for eliminating tourist use of housing, of which there are about 70 registered in Sabadell. The non-attached councilor, Gabriel Fernàndez, criticized the approval of the ordinance without consulting affected economic agents and denounced a new tax increase, questioning the justification for the surcharge given the lack of indicators of tourism pressure in the city.
Vox and the PP opposed the measure. Vox spokesperson Nuria Acacio criticized the contradiction between promoting Sabadell as a tourist city and applying a new surcharge, adding to a 21% tax increase over three years. PP spokesperson Cuca Santos argued that there is no tourist saturation and that raising accommodation prices will not improve the city's attractiveness, predicting that only the wealthy will be able to travel.
The new ordinance was approved with 18 votes in favor (PSC, ERC, and Junts), six abstentions (Crida, SECP, and Fernàndez), and three votes against (Vox and PP). The period for objections is now open before final approval and agreement with the Agència Tributària de Catalunya for revenue management.
Currently, Sabadell has seven hotels, four hostels, and one guesthouse, totaling approximately 1,350 accommodation places, plus around 400 places in 70 registered tourist apartments, making a total of between 1,700 and 1,800 places.
