Barcelona authorities propose to almost triple the tourist tax for cruise ship passengers who stay in the city for less than 12 hours. If the initiative is approved by the Parliament of Catalonia, the fee will increase from 11 to 30 euros per day, writes Euronews.
The increased rate will apply only to cruise ships entering the port of Barcelona for a short period. It will not apply to itineraries that start or end in Barcelona, as such tourists usually stay longer in the city, using hotels, transport, and other services.
According to city authorities, the main goal of increasing the fee is not only to replenish the budget but also to curb excessive cruise tourism. Some politicians believe this will help define the place of cruise calls in Barcelona's tourism strategy. Others propose limiting the total number of cruise ship passengers, but it is noted that implementing such a measure would be significantly more difficult.
At the peak of the tourist season, cruise ship passengers account for about 7.5% of all visitors to Barcelona per day, spending an average of about 5 hours and 40 minutes in the city.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) criticized the initiative. The organization warned that a sharp increase in fees could make Barcelona less competitive compared to other Mediterranean ports. According to WTTC estimates, tourists might start spending less money during their stay in the city or choose other itineraries.
According to the organization, Barcelona annually hosts about four million cruise ship passengers, and the average expenditure of a passenger who starts or ends a cruise in the city is about 255 euros. In 2024 alone, the cruise industry brought almost 12 million euros to Barcelona's budget in taxes.
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