Barcelona hikes cruise passenger tax to €24 to curb mass tourism

Barcelona's city council approved a tripling of the levy charged to cruise passengers making day‑trip stops, raising it from €8 to €24 per person. When combined with an existing €6 regional tourist tax, short‑stay visitors could pay up to €30 for a brief visit.

The increase is part of Mayor Jaume Collboni's strategy to manage the strain of mass tourism; the city welcomed about 16 million visitors in 2025, including a record 3.99 million cruise passengers. The higher fee is intended to discourage cruise ships from docking solely for a few hours and is slated to take effect as early as 2027. Cruises that begin or end in Barcelona are exempt, as they are deemed more beneficial to the local economy. Similar tax rises are being considered in other major port cities such as Venice and Dubrovnik.