Locals in Spain’s tourism hotspots are increasingly frustrated about mass tourism. Authorities are clamping down.
Barcelona plans to increase the tourist tax for cruise passengers staying in the city for less than 12 hours, the mayor revealed in a Sunday interview.
“We are going to propose.. substantially increasing the tax for stopover cruise passengers,” Jaume Collboni told El Pais newspaper.
It is the latest in a series of measures that he has announced to reduce the impact of mass tourism.
It comes just weeks after protesters in Barcelona, chanting: “Tourists go home,” sprayed visitors with water as part of a demonstration against mass tourism.
Fewer, higher paying tourists wanted
According to Statista, Barcelona reported the highest number of cruise passengers last year, roughly 3.6 million passengers.
The current tourist tax for stopover cruise passengers was €7 ($7.61) daily.
Collboni did not say how much he would raise the tourist tax, but his reasons are clear.
“In the case of stopover cruise passengers (less than 12 hours) there is intensive use of public space without any benefit for the city and a feeling of occupation and saturation,” he said.
“We want to have tourism that is respectful of the destination,” Collboni added.
Collboni announced last month that the city will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028. He has also introduced other tourist taxes.
Fresh protests against mass tourism in Mallorca
Anti-tourism activists have protested in popular holiday destinations across Spain, such as Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, and the Canary Islands.
The blame for plummeting living standards is often placed on visitors who drive up prices, including housing costs. Some places also struggle with what is called party tourism.
Mallorca is one such place and wants to attract fewer tourists, but only those who are willing to spend money.
On Sunday, the activists again plan protests against the excesses of mass tourism.
Just eight weeks ago, around 10,000 people took to the streets of Palma under the slogans “Enough is Enough!” and “Mallorca Is Not for Sale!”
Tourism is essential for Mallorca, accounting for 45% of the island’s economic output.
However, many argue that only a minority benefit from the industry, while the vast majority are left with poorly paid jobs and experience housing shortages, traffic jams, noise, and pollution.