BARCELONA has approved plans to raise its cruise ship tourist tax to €30 per passenger per day, tripling the current rate as the city seeks to slash short-stay visits.
Barcelona’s city council has approved plans to triple the tourist tax paid by cruise ship day-trippers, raising the levy from €8 to €24 per passenger.
The charge will apply to cruise passengers who spend fewer than 12 hours in the Catalan capital and will be added to the existing €6 regional tourist tax, bringing the total cost to €30 per person.
The tax increase is expected to generate over €20 million annually, which city leaders say will help fund a 50% reduction in school meal prices.
It comes amid a wider push by Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni to curb cruise tourism, with the mayor saying he wants to see the number of cruise ship stopovers fall to ‘zero’ over the coming years.
Barcelona’s decision follows a record-breaking year for cruise tourism, with 3.99 million passengers arriving in the city in 2025.
The influx strained public services and added to concerns about overtourism during the peak summer months.
By tripling the tax, the council begins its efforts to slash the number of cruise ships docking in the Catalan capital.
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