Barcelona will raise tourist tax for cruise passengers, mayor says

The mayor of Barcelona has announced that the tourist tax for cruise ship passengers in the city will increase over the next two years. The purpose of this increase is to encourage quality tourism instead of mass tourism and also to raise more funds for the city.

The current tourist tax for cruise ship passengers staying in Barcelona for more than 12 hours is €4.75 per night. This figure will increase to €5.75 on April 1, 2023 and €6.25 on April 1, 2024.

Barcelona officials say the increases will help them take measures to reduce the negative effects of mass tourism, such as noise pollution and overcrowding. They also say the money will be used to improve public services such as transportation and sanitation.

The increase in tourist tax has been criticized by some cruise line operators and tourism groups. They say it will make Barcelona less attractive to tourists and hurt local businesses.

However, Barcelona officials say the increases are necessary to ensure tourism benefits the city and its residents. They also note that Barcelona still has a relatively low tourist tax compared to other popular European cities.

It remains to be seen whether the increase in the tourist tax will have any effect on the number of tourists visiting Barcelona by cruise ship.

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