Residents frustrated

Barcelona: cruise tourists to pay more

Cruise ship passengers are to pay a higher tax in Barcelona in the future.(Bild: APA/JAIME REINA / AFP)

In the discussion about the burden of mass tourism, Spain's second largest city Barcelona has announced an increase in its entrance tax. 

The tourist tax for cruise passengers with a stay of less than twelve hours is currently too low at seven euros, said Mayor Jaume Collboni in an interview published on Sunday in the newspaper "El Pais". "We plan to significantly increase the tax for short-stay cruise passengers."

The mayor did not say how high the tax would be in future. The plan still had to be agreed with the Catalan regional government. To justify the plan, Collboni said that the visitors in question make intensive use of the public space without the city benefiting from it.

Many Spaniards are increasingly complaining about the burden of tourism, which is also driving up housing prices and making life at many destinations unaffordable for locals. In recent weeks, there have been protests in Majorca and the Canary Islands, for example.

Barcelona has already announced a ban on renting apartments to tourists. There have also been complaints about too many short-term visitors in other countries. In Italy, for example, Venice is leading the way with an entrance fee for day visitors.