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.
On Thursday, 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.
Does tourist tax turn you off visiting Barcelona?
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Yes
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No
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).
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.
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.
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