Catalonia is planning to double its tourist tax rates in an effort to control the surge of visitors to the popular Spanish region. Last year, Spain experienced widespread protests against mass tourism, with tens of thousands of protestors taking to the streets in the country’s holiday hotspots.
The increase in holiday flats, which locals argue is pushing up rental and property prices, has been a significant point of contention. In response to growing public dissatisfaction, local authorities are stepping in.
By 2025, Catalonia plans to double its tourist tax rates and allocate at least a quarter of the revenue towards housing policies. The tax will start at €2 (£1.65) per day for campsite visitors in Barcelona, rising 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 collected over €90million (£74m) from the tourist tax.
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Barcelona city already imposes its own municipal surcharge of €4 per night, and the City Council also has the power to double this tourist tax up to €8 per night. If you combine the regional and city tourist taxes, each guest at a 5-star or luxury hotel in Barcelona could pay an additional €15 (£12) per night, reports the Mirror.
If this were to occur, Barcelona would almost quadruple its tourist tax in some instances.
Cruise passengers docking in Barcelona for an extended period will soon feel the pinch of new taxes, with €6 levied for stays over 24 hours and a €4 per night tourist tax for longer visits. This move could see revenues surge to a hefty €200 million (£165m) each year if tourism figures continue their upward trajectory, despite push-back from the sector’s leaders.
The central government is expected to approve this measure. Spain faces intensified pressure on the housing front, with rent prices in Barcelona spiking significantly; the Catalan Housing Agency reports that Q2 2024 rental costs have risen by nearly 70% compared to a decade earlier.
The crunch isn’t isolated to Barcelona or even Catalonia – protesters in Tenerife are speaking out against steep rents that cause hardship for many, including educators like Lydia Morales who disclosed to the Express during a sizeable April 2024 protest: “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,” highlighting the stark reality of her situation.
She articulated her exasperation further: “The priority of the politicians is still creating more construction of towers for tourism complexes.”
Reflecting on the disregard for local concerns, Morales added, “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.”
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