In Spanish Catalonia, the tourist tax has been doubled as part of the fight against mass tourism – it will now become one of the highest in Europe.
The regional parliament of Catalonia has approved a law to double the tourist tax starting in April. Guests staying in hotels will begin to pay between 10 and 15 euros per night per person, whereas previously the tourist tax was 5-7.5 euros, depending on the class of the hotel. For cruise ship passengers, the tax will remain at 6 euros.
In recent years, there have been increasing complaints from locals, especially in Barcelona, that the huge influx of tourists is leading to more and more housing being converted into short-term rental apartments, while rental prices for residents are rising to unaffordable levels due to a housing shortage.
A quarter of the revenue from the increased tourist tax will be directed towards alleviating housing problems.
The hospitality industry is not thrilled about the new measure and fears it will significantly impact the number of guests.
By 2030, Barcelona plans to limit cruise tourism.
A number of measures against mass tourism have also been initiated in Venice, Italy.
