L'Hospitalet de Llobregat's plenary session approved a municipal tourism surcharge on Wednesday 23 September, with the local government planning to use its initial proceeds to incorporate five council-subsidised nursery schools into the municipal network. For families using those schools, the change depends on approval of the city’s 2027 budget; visitors staying in local accommodation will face the new charge from 1 October.

The measure passed with votes from the PSC, ERC-EUiA and Comuns. PP and Vox voted against. It supplements Catalonia's existing Tax on Stays in Tourist Establishments, collected by the Generalitat, the Catalan government.

The five nursery schools have been awaiting integration for years. The process has been held up by administrative procedures, according to the report, and a rollover of the current municipal budget could add a further six months to the process.

Charges begin on 1 October

L'Hospitalet has signed an agreement with the Agència Tributària de Catalunya, Catalonia's tax agency, to collect the surcharge. The city can therefore begin charging it next week.

  • Five-star hotels: €4 per stay from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, remaining at €4 from 1 April 2027.
  • Four-star hotels: €1.80, rising to €2.40 from 1 April 2027.
  • Tourist accommodation: €1.75, rising to €2.50.
  • Youth hostels: €0.80, rising to €1.
  • Other establishments: €0.90, rising to €1.20.

People aged 16 or under, people staying for health reasons and stays funded through public social programmes will be among those exempt from the charge. Visitors booking accommodation for stays from 1 October should check the applicable surcharge with their provider.

Budget approval will determine nursery funding

The council expects tourism-related taxation to raise €6.5 million in 2027. It forecasts €4.62 million of that total will come from the new municipal surcharge, while €1.89 million will come from L'Hospitalet's 37.5% share of the Generalitat tax.

The first revenue is intended to fund the five nursery-school integrations. The council's ability to allocate it for that purpose will depend on the 2027 budget vote, although the report says a budget extension would not stop the plan outright.

L'Hospitalet recorded 2,068,000 overnight stays in 2025 and has 8,857 tourist accommodation places, including hotels and tourist apartments. The city has 30 hotels, apart-hotels and hostels, while 10 further hotel projects are awaiting building permission, according to council figures reported by El Periódico.

Reported by elperiodico.com, El Periódico Barcelona.