Catalonia plans to double tourist tax rates by the end of 2025 and allocate at least 25% of the proceeds to housing policies, with those on cruise ships docked in Barcelona also forced to pay
Catalonia is set to double its tourist tax rates in a bid to manage the influx of visitors to the popular Spanish region.
Last year, Spain was rocked by widespread protests against mass tourism, with tens of thousands of demonstrators marching through the country’s holiday hotspots. The surge in holiday flat numbers, which locals argue is driving up rental and property prices, has been a major bone of contention. In response to the escalating public discontent, local authorities are taking action.
By the end of 2025, Catalonia aims to double its tourist tax rates and dedicate at least a quarter of the revenue to housing policies. The tax will kick off at €2 (£1.65) per day for campsite visitors in Barcelona, climbing to €7 (£5.78) for guests at 5-star hotels in the regional capital.
Elsewhere in Catalonia, tourists will be charged between €1.20 (99p) and €6 (£4.95) per day, depending on their accommodation. Last year, Catalonia pocketed over €90million (£74m) from the tourist tax.
Barcelona city already applies its own municipal surcharge of €4 per night, and the City Council also has the right to double this tourist tax up to €8 per night. If you add the regional and city tourist taxes together, each guest at a 5-star or luxury hotel in Barcelona could pay an additional €15 (£12) per night. If this were to happen, Barcelona would almost quadruple its tourist tax in some cases.
Passengers on board cruise ships docked at Barcelona’s port for more than 24 hours will have to pay a tax of €6; and those on cruises that stay for more than 24 hours can expect tourists taxes of €4 per night.
With the proposed hike, this figure could potentially soar to €200 million (£165m) annually, assuming tourist numbers continue to rise at the current rate. Despite objections from leaders in the tourism industry, the central government is anticipated to give the green light to the initiative, reports the Express.
The housing crisis is heating up in Spain as politicians grapple with soaring rents amplified by the regeneration of working-class districts and a shift by landlords towards more lucrative short-term holiday rentals. According to the Catalan Housing Agency, rental agreements in Barcelona for Q2 2024 skyrocketed to almost 70% more than those in the same stretch of 2014.
This issue stretches beyond Barcelona and even Catalonia, as evidenced by demonstrators in Tenerife who cite skyrocketing rents as a critical cause of discord. At a massive April 2024 demonstration on the Canary Island, teacher Lydia Morales expressed to the Express that her salary scarcely covered her rental expenses.
“The benefits of tourism are only felt by a small number of people. Even as a teacher I struggle to afford rent because it is too expensive,” she voiced her predicament.
She continued to express her frustrations: “The priority of the politicians is still creating more construction of towers for tourism complexes.”
Morales also highlighted the neglect of local needs, “The priorities of the citizens of the country are left behind, we don’t have a hospital in the south of the island, the infrastructure is collapsing because there is so much traffic.”