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Barcelona Announces €30 Tax on Short-Stay Cruise Visitors to Curb Overtourism
Barcelona’s municipal government is moving to charge short‑stay cruise passengers a tax that could total about €30 per visitor. After a committee meeting on July 15, officials approved a €24 municipal charge for cruise tourists staying less than 12 hours, with additional fees bringing the total to roughly €30. The measure is part of the city’s “Not one tourist more” campaign aimed at stopping further growth in visitor numbers. Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism José Antonio Donaire said the goal is to keep arrivals around the 15.7 million tourists expected in 2025, rather than expand beyond that.
The tax follows earlier steps, including a near‑doubling of Barcelona’s hotel‑guest tax, now costing about $10‑$17 per night per person. Residents have protested overtourism for months, citing rising rents, crowded public transport and loss of local housing to short‑term rentals.
Entities
Barcelona · Barcelona City Council · Catalonia · José Antonio Donaire
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Barcelona plans to charge a municipal tax of €24 for cruise visitors staying less than 12 hours. www.thecooldown.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Residents have protested overtourism with demonstrations that included water guns. www.thecooldown.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Barcelona previously nearly doubled its hotel‑guest tax, raising it to about $10‑$17 per night per person. www.thecooldown.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] José Antonio Donaire is Barcelona’s commissioner for sustainable tourism. www.thecooldown.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Barcelona aims to cap annual tourist arrivals at 15.7 million in 2025. www.thecooldown.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Including other fees, the total tax could be about €30 per short‑stay cruise passenger. www.thecooldown.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The tax proposal was approved after a Barcelona committee meeting on July 15. www.thecooldown.com