Why visiting Barcelona on a cruise could soon cost you a lot more ?

Le port de Barcelone. Illustration Pixabay

the essential The mayor of Barcelona announced in an interview with the newspaper El Pais this Sunday July 21 that the tourist tax for people who visit his city as part of a cruise and who therefore stay less than twelve hours on site, was "considerably" increase.

Barcelona will increase "significantly" the tourist tax for cruise passengers who visit the city for less than 12  hours, announces the mayor of the city in an interview published Sunday in EL Pais.

"Feeling of busyness"

Jaume Collboni does not specify the extent of the increase in this tax, which currently stands at 7 euros (7.61 dollars) per day. Cruise lines on short stopovers use public space "without any benefit for the city", generating "a feeling of occupation and saturation&quot ;, explains the mayor.

"We want to have tourism that respects the destination." It is up to tourists, and not local taxpayers, to finance projects such as air conditioning in schools, the councilor still believes. The tax increase proposal must be discussed with the Catalan regional government.

Problem of housing prices

In recent weeks, anti-tourism activists have staged protests in popular destinations like Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and the Canary Islands.

The influx of visitors, according to them, causes an increase in housing costs and prevents residents from living in city centers. A demonstration is planned for Sunday evening in Palma de Mallorca, capital of the largest Balearic island.

Jaume Collboni announced last month the ban on the rental of apartments to tourists by 2028, a drastic measure in line with the city's desire to curb the soaring housing costs and making life more pleasant for Barcelona residents.