A popular holiday region in northeastern Spain is set to increase its tourist tax, affecting visitors to one of the country’s most popular cities.
Catalonia, which is home to the city of Barcelona, first introduced the tax in 2012.
Last week, the Catalan government signed a deal that will allow the region to double the tax, in an attempt to tackle the increasing number of tourists.
This means that in Barcelona this fee could reach a maximum of €15 (roughly £12.30) per person per night.
The amount tourists will have to pay depends on the type of accommodation they stay in.
Currently, the maximum fee is €7.50 (£6.20) for guests in five-star hotels and €5.70 (£4.70) for guests in four-star hotels. Those staying in flats are charged €6.25 (£5.20).
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Does tourist tax turn you off visiting Barcelona?
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Yes
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No
The rest of Catalonia will be able to increase the tax if they introduce the surcharge that was previously only applicable in the Catalan capital.
This means tourists to parts of the region outside Barcelona will be charged between €1.20 (99p) and €6 (£4.95) per day, depending on their accommodation.
The increased revenue the government will receive from the tax will be used to fund housing policies in the region.
David Cid, a spokesperson for the left-wing Comuns party, said: ‘A person who comes to Catalonia paying €400 or €500 for a night in a hotel can pay €7 more,’ when speaking to Spanish radio network Cadena Ser.
He argued that the new figures ‘do not impose any limits’ on tourism or the arrival of visitors, and that similar measures ‘are being proposed across Europe’.
Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni confirmed that the city would increase the tax hours after the deal was made public, but did not specify when this would take place.
The new measure comes after anti-tourism protests swept Barcelona last summer, with protestors demanding ‘tourists go home’ and squirting visitors with water pistols.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands protested in the city in November to demand lower house prices.
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Overcrowding and a surge in the number of holiday rentals in the city has left locals disgruntled, arguing that it has driven up property prices.
But Barcelona isn’t the only city that has seen a pushback against visitors.
Elsewhere in Spain, Málaga has taken action against overtourism with a new three-year law that prevents the registration of new holiday rentals in some areas.
Overtourism in Spain
Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world and last year welcomed a record-breaking 94 million tourists.
It’s a particular favourite with Brits, who made up the biggest proportion of visitors in 2024.
Tourism brings a huge amount of revenue to the country – €126 billion last year – but it also comes with a fair share of issues and many Spaniards have had enough.
Those living in some of the biggest holiday hotspots complain of overcrowding, town centres no longer catering for locals, and a lack of housing, especially affordable housing.
In Gran Canaria, protesters hit the streets in Maspalomas, in the south of the island, where most of the hotels British tourists stay at are based.
And it seems authorities are now listening to locals concerns. A new three-year law was introduced in Malaga in January, which has been dubbed a ‘tourist ban’ by some.
The term is misleading – the law doesn’t ban tourists from anywhere. Instead, it prevents the registration of any new holiday rentals across 43 districts in the area.
The measure, introduced by Malaga City Council and Costa del Sol on January 14 and expected to last beyond the initial three years, aims to stop the rise of holiday-rental properties in the most crowded parts of the city and give locals a better chance of finding long-term lets.
Similar bans have been introduced in Alicante and Madrid over the past year, and more cities, including Seville are set to follow suit.
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