Collboni proposes to further increase the tax on tourists arriving in Barcelona on cruise ships

The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboniwill propose to the new Catalan Government and the Parliament that the city be able to increase, beyond the current 4 euros per person, the tourist tax for short-stay cruise passengers, those who spend less than twelve hours in the city.

This was announced by Jaume Collboni this Sunday in statements to journalists, after the inauguration of the new Olympic Port of Barcelonaa space with more than 20,000 square meters dedicated to gastronomy, nautical and the blue economy.

Although he has not specified how much the price could be raised tourist tax In relation to the 1.5 million cruise passengers who spend less than 12 hours a year in the city, the mayor has indicated that a “significant” increase will be requested.

In an interview published today in the newspaper El País, the mayor explained when asked about this increase: “We already have studies, don’t make me tell you the figure. In Barcelona we have a regional and local section of the tourist tax. We have already raised the local section to the maximum, 4 euros, and now a cruise passenger passing through pays a total of 7 euros.”

“We want to increase the local section even more of the tourist tax for cruise passengers who spend less than twelve hours in Barcelona,” he reaffirmed, although in the same interview he cooled off, for now, a possible reduction in the number of cruise ships and cruise passengers and the elimination of some terminals at the Port of Barcelona.

In his statements today, Collboni explained that the increase in this rate would aim to ensure that tourists who make “intensive use” of public space, especially in some neighborhoods of Old City and other areas of the Barcelona coastline and the city centre, assume part of the costs of keeping these areas clean, tidy and safe.

The mayor of Barcelona has framed this future measure, if it is authorized by The Parliament and the new Governmentin its efforts to achieve “better and quality” tourism for the city, and which would be added to the already announced not to renew the more than 10,000 tourist apartment licenses from 2028. Last May, the Barcelona’s town hall approved raising the municipal surcharge to four euros per day for all tourist accommodation, which is the maximum currently allowed.