Barcelona to increase tourist tax for cruise passengers, mayor says By Reuters
MADRID (Reuters) – Barcelona will increase the tourist tax on passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours, the mayor said in an interview published on Sunday.
Jaume Collboni said the current tourist tax for cruise passengers is 7 euros ($7.61) per day. He did not say how much the tax would be increased.
“We will propose a significant increase in the tax for cruise passengers,” he told El Pais newspaper.
“In the case of cruise passengers (less than 12 hours) a lot of public space has been used without the benefit of the city and the feeling of living and being crowded. We want to have tourism that respects the destination.”
He said tourists, not local taxpayers, should pay for local programs such as air-conditioned schools.
The proposal will have to be agreed with the Catalan regional government, said Colboni.
In recent weeks, anti-tourism activists have staged protests in popular holiday destinations across Spain, such as Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and the Canary Islands, saying tourists are driving up housing costs and making residents unable to afford to live in cities.
Another demonstration is planned in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the largest Balearic Island on Sunday evening.
Colboni announced last month that the city would ban apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, a drastic move as it seeks to rein in rising housing costs and make the city more affordable.
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