Barcelona shoots up the tourist tax: staying in the city will cost up to €15 extra

Barcelona City Council raises the tourist tax to €15 per night per person. The increase will be gradual until 2029. The measure promises a direct impact on hotels, tourist flats and cruise passengers. The political and social debate is under way.

Staying overnight in Barcelona will be more expensive than ever: the municipal tourist tax will rise in stages until it reaches €15 per person per night in the coming years. The City Council's plenary session has given final approval to this increase, which will affect people visiting the city and staying overnight in any type of accommodation.

The decision, backed by PSC, ERC and BComú after a last-minute agreement, marks a turning point in local tax policy. The municipal surcharge, currently €4, will rise by one euro each year until 2029. It will therefore be €5 in 2026, €6 in 2027, €7 in 2028 and will reach €8 in 2029. To this amount must be added the Generalitat tourist tax, which can reach €7 per day, taking the total cost to the historic high of €15 per night.

Mayor Jaume Collboni argues that this increase will allow tourism activity to give more back to the city. According to his calculations, annual revenue could increase by €100 million once the full rise is applied. However, the measure has not had the support of Junts, PP or Vox, which voted against it and warn of possible negative effects on the sector.

The first increase will be felt as early as April, when the municipal surcharge rises by one euro, still pending approval by the Parlament. The amounts will vary according to the type of accommodation: those staying in five-star hotels will pay €12 per night, in four-star hotels €8.4, in tourist flats €9.5 and in other establishments €7. Cruise passengers will also see the tax increase, with rates of €9 for stays longer than 12 hours and €11 for shorter stays.

The debate over the impact of this rise is already out in the streets. The Catalan tourism sector has expressed its opposition and warns of possible consequences for Barcelona's competitiveness as a destination. Meanwhile, residents and visitors are preparing for a new stage in the city's relationship with tourism.

Barcelona's tourist tax was created as a tool to compensate for the impact of mass tourism on urban life. Since its introduction, it has evolved according to tourism pressure and municipal funding needs. The municipal surcharge, managed directly by the City Council, is added to the regional tax and makes it possible to allocate resources to cleaning, security and improvements to public space. The debate over its amount and destination recurs, reflecting the tension between the city's international appeal and the quality of life in its neighbourhoods.