Barcelona raises cruise passenger tax to 24 euros: an end to ‘hit-and-run’ tourism

The Barcelona City Council has approved the increase of the municipal tax for cruise passengers stopping for less than 12 hours, bringing the fee to 24 euros per person, to which 6 euros in regional taxes will be added. The measure, promoted by mayor Jaume Collboni to counter the impact of mass tourism in the city’s neighborhoods, triples the current tax and brings forward its implementation, initially planned to be gradual until 2029.

The initiative aims to discourage short-stay tourism to favor embarkation/disembarkation operations (homeporting), and is part of a broader plan which includes the reduction and modernization of cruise terminals and the discussion of a maximum cap of 3.5 million passengers per year.