Tourists in Barcelona could be taxed €15 a night from April with the city authorities eager to double the existing tourism fee. The tax is typically paid directly at the accommodation and the funds earmarked to support a Tourism Reinvestment Fund for infrastructure, transport, security, housing and sustainability projects. The proposed increase to the tourist tax, combined with a local surcharge, for example, could raise the cost of hosting the Mobile World Congress by half, from €400,000 to €600,000.
The Barcelona authorities have blamed over-tourism for the measure and said they are keen to move away from high-volume tourism to attracting quality tourism that adds value to the city.
Depending on the category of accommodation, visitors staying in hotels will bear the brunt of the rise, with the charge set to go as high as €15 a night. Holiday home renters will be asked to pay a maximum of €12.50 a night, up from €6.25.
Barcelona has also announced plans to ban all short-term holiday accommodation by 2028.
It will not be the first time the tourist tax has been increased since it was introduced in 2012. The estimated 30 million tourists annually are clearly a cash cow for the city and the tax is already one of the highest set in Europe.
Barcelona ranks among the top four in the world for conventions and delegates are not be exempt from the levy.
Manel Casals, general director of the Barcelona’s hoteliers’ group, has said advice to raise the tax more gradually were ignored, noting: “One day they will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.” for residents.
Mayor Jaume Collboni has stated that visitors should pay for the “intensive use of public space” so that local residents do not have to cover these costs through their own taxes.
