Barcelona is taking steps to increase the tourist tax for short-stay cruise passengers, those who spend less than 12 hours in the city, as part of a new agreement between the Catalan President Salvador Illa and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni.
The new agreement will significantly raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers spending less than 12 hours in the city. This decision, announced on Thursday, marks a substantial change aimed at reducing the strain that short-term visitors place on the city.
A major hike for short-stay cruise visitors
Mayor Jaume Collboni and the Presidency Councillor Albert Dalmau confirmed the plans following an institutional meeting between Illa and Collboni. They highlighted that the current municipal surcharge on the tourist tax for cruise passengers, which stands at €4, will be removed. The exact amount of the new tax is still pending and will be finalised in the upcoming budget proposal.
Collboni stressed that the higher tax aims to manage the influx of short-stay cruise visitors, noting that these tourists place significant pressure on public spaces and services in Barcelona. “A substantially higher tax will help control the demand from cruise passengers staying less than 12 hours, as they make more intensive use of the city and create more tension in public areas,” Collboni explained.
Rising number of cruise visitors
Barcelona’s popularity as a cruise destination continues to grow. Last year, the city welcomed 1.6 million cruise visitors, and further growth is expected. Collboni warned that this increase in numbers is “unsustainable” for the city, and the new tax is aimed at curbing this trend.
The mayor emphasised the city’s stance, stating, “We believe Barcelona should remain a home port for cruises, but we must severely limit the activity of stopover cruises.”
A growing cruise industry
The Port of Barcelona has already seen 323 cruise stops in the first half of this year. 83% of them designating Barcelona as their base port. This is an increase from 79% in 2023, which the Port Authority considers a significant improvement, as home-porting cruises generate more economic benefits for the city.
Also read: Barcelona surpasses 3 million overnight stays every month