BAD news has arrived for holidaymakers as a popular tourist destination is set to double its tourist tax from April.
Parliament has passed a law that will allow Catalunya to double its tourist tax meaning that the charge could reach €15 a night in some luxury Barcelona hotels by 2029.
In all areas of Catalunya, other than the capital, the charge will increase progressively from April 1 to March 31 2027.
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By this date next year it will have grown from €3 to €4.5 per night and will then increase again to 6.
In Barcelona the increase is set to be more rapid with the tax rising immediately by 100% from April 1. For five star hotels it will go from €3.5 to €7 as soon as April begins.
Votes for this change came from the PSC, ERC and Comuns parties.
Susana Martinez, the PSC delegate in the debate, said that tourist tax does not impact the number of tourists and increasing it is ‘common sense’ as it helps to maintain public services.
A quarter of the money generated from this tax is set to be allocated for public housing with the remaining 75% going towards the Fomento del Turismo funds.
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This money will therefore help with security, cleaning and contribute to an increase in workers in health centres, according to Comuns spokesperson David Cid who said that tourist tax actually serves tourists.
On top of this tax the new regulation allows Barcelona City Council to increase the maximum surcharge that it can add on top of the fee. It will rise from €4 to €8.
This change has been approved as an annual increase of one euro up to a maximum of €8 in 2029.
Other city councils will also be able to add their own surcharge of up to €4.
While many have defended this change, there were parties who voted against the law.
One of these was Vox whose MP, Javier Ramirez, said that ‘people are buying into the narrative of tourismphobia and fiscal extortion’.
He criticised that 25% of the money will go towards housing saying: ‘What fault lies with a family that freely comes to visit the city, to boost the economy, that they have caused the housing market to collapse? None whatsoever”.
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