Barcelona will ask cruise tourists for more money
In Barcelona and other Spanish cities, residents are complaining about massive burdens from tourists. The Catalan capital is now planning a "significant" increase in tax for cruise ship passengers. The tax for cruise ship passengers with a stay of less than twelve hours is currently only seven Euros.
In the discussion about the burdens of mass tourism, Barcelona announces an increase in its entrance fee. The tax for cruise ship passengers with a short stay is currently too low at seven Euros, according to Mayor Jaume Collboni in the newspaper "El Pais". "We plan to significantly increase the tax for cruise ship passengers with a short stay."
The exact height of the tax was not stated by the mayor. The plan must still be coordinated with the Catalan regional government. In justification of the plan, Collboni said that these visitors intensively use the public space without the city benefiting from it.
Many Spaniards are increasingly complaining about the burdens of tourism, which also drives up housing prices and makes life at many tourist destinations unaffordable for locals. In the past few weeks, there have been protests about this on Mallorca and the Canary Islands. For this Sunday, new demonstrations are announced for the popular German holiday island. Barcelona has already announced a ban on renting homes to tourists.
Complaints about too many short-term visitors also exist in other countries. For example, Venice in Italy charges an entrance fee for day visitors. Several islands in the North and Baltic Seas in Germany have been collecting a tax from day visitors for a long time.
Barcelona is not the only city experiencing issues with tourism bursts; Venice in Italy implementes an entrance fee for day visitors. The proposed tax increase for cruise ship passengers in Barcelona, according to Mayor Jaume Collboni, will help counterbalance the intense use of public spaces by short-stay visitors, who often do not contribute significantly to the city's economy. International tourists, including those on cruise ships visiting Barcelona for less than twelve hours, may soon face higher taxes, as municipal leaders look for ways to ease pressure on local residents and infrastructure.
