Barcelona City Council approved an increase in the municipal tourist-tax surcharge paid by cruise passengers making a stopover in the city on Tuesday 22 September, according to reporting by Metrópoli Abierta. The charge is due to reach €12 by 2027.
Photo: Pub.Cat Group
For cruise visitors stopping in Barcelona, the decision means a higher local levy will be added to the tourist tax from 2027. The agreement between the PSC, the Catalan Socialist Party, and ERC, Catalan Republican Left, also directs €3 million of tourist-tax revenue towards school learning support and €1 million towards extracurricular activities.
“The results of the PISA Report oblige us to act,” ERC’s Barcelona leader Elisenda Alamany said, arguing that tourism revenue should be invested in people living in Barcelona.
Barcelona en Comú votes against the measure
Barcelona en Comú, known as BComú, voted against the initiative after proposing a €24 charge which Metrópoli Abierta reported was not legally possible. Junts per Catalunya also supported the agreement.
The tourist tax already fully funds Pla Clima Escola, the City Council programme to provide climate control in schools. Mayor Jaume Collboni said after a meeting with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani that the scheme has reached more than 80 schools and is planned to extend to 170.
Luxury-hotel property tax proposal remains unresolved
BComú also abstained on a separate proposal to raise IBI, Spain’s annual municipal property tax, for luxury hotels to the legal maximum rate of 1.30%. If approved, the measure would increase the annual property-tax rate paid by affected luxury-hotel operators.
“We cannot vote in favour, but if they bring it back tomorrow, next week, or before the plenary session, our group will support it,” BComú councillor Marc Serra said.
Deputy Mayor for Economy Jordi Valls criticised BComú’s vote against the cruise-tax measure, saying it complied with agreements previously reached with the group.
Reported by metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, Metrópoli Abierta - Urban Life.
