Town will double its vacationer tax for cruise passengers a lot earlier than beforehand deliberate.
The mayor’s purpose is to cut back short-stay cruise stopovers in Barcelona to zero (Picture: Getty)
A gorgeous European metropolis cherished by Brits has stated it’s fed up with cruise ships and can now double its vacationer tax for cruise ship vacationers earlier than deliberate. Barcelona Metropolis Council desires to place an finish to cruise ships calling on the Catalan capital. The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, stated he goals to cut back to zero the variety of cruise passengers who merely cease over within the metropolis and wouldn’t have Barcelona as the start line or vacation spot of their journey.
He stated the town will enhance the vacationer tax for cruise passengers from €4 (£3.47) to €8 (£6.93) per individual per day a lot earlier than beforehand deliberate, to be able to “discourage” this sort of tourism. The announcement comes after an earlier settlement to cut back the variety of cruise terminals in Barcelona from seven to 5.
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Collboni introduced that the cruise vacationer tax might be fast-tracked (Picture: Getty)
The elevated £6.93 tax will come into pressure within the subsequent few months fairly than being phased in progressively till 2029 as initially deliberate, the mayor has introduced. The cost can be imposed on all cruise ship passengers who keep within the metropolis for lower than 12 hours.
As reported by El País, Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni stated final week: “Within the coming months, we are going to enhance the vacationer tax from 4 to eight euros (per individual per day) in order that it comes into pressure within the coming months and never in 4 years’ time as we had agreed.”
“I wish to discourage the arrival of cruise passengers!”.
The mayor additionally desires to extend the vacationer surcharge past the present proposed cap of €8 (£6.93) per day. Nonetheless, any additional rise would require approval from the Catalan authorities.
Barcelona’s metropolis corridor argues that cruise passengers who solely cease briefly within the metropolis generate restricted financial advantages whereas including to overcrowding and stress on public providers. Barcelona metropolis welcomed 16 million guests in 2025, 2.9% greater than in 2024.
The mayor additionally stated the council plans on phasing out vacation let properties by 2028.
He stated: “Tourism should serve the town, not the opposite means spherical. We wish high-quality tourism, which is why we’re renovating the Fira de Barcelona, we’re inquisitive about enterprise guests.
“What we don’t want is mass tourism, and that’s the reason we are going to section out short-let lodging by 2028.”
In 2025, the Port of Barcelona hosted a file 832 cruise stopovers and about 3.9 million passengers.
In accordance with the Port de Barcelona web site, the port is the main cruise port in Europe and the Mediterranean with seven worldwide passenger terminals.
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