Cruise lines face the prospect of paying a higher tax per passenger for making calls in Barcelona in the latest effort by the city to curb overtourism.
The mayor of the Catalan cruise hub plans to increase a tourist tax currently levied on passengers from ships who spend less than 12 hours in the city.
Jaume Collboni said that the current levy of €7 per day would be raised, but he would not be drawn on how much.
More than 1,100 cruise ship calls are scheduled into the port of Barcelona this year, with as many as five ships per day in summer peak periods.
Overnight visitors in Barcelona – at the forefront of efforts by Spanish destinations to counter the detrimental impact of mass tourism – currently have to pay a tourist tax of €4 per person, per night.
Collboni said in an interview published in Spanish newspaper El Pais on Sunday: “In the case of cruise ship passengers, who do not stay overnight, there is an intensive use of public space without any benefit for the city and a sensation of occupation and of saturation.
“We want the kind of tourism that is respectful toward the destination.”
He pointed out that the measure was not to dissuade cruise ship visitors from coming, but rather to see them “pay what being in the city is worth”.
The money would go toward investment in 15 areas of the city that have been identified as having high foot traffic, as well as for social projects such as installing air conditioning in schools.
The plan will have to be agreed with the Catalan regional government before being imposed.
“I would like Barcelona to be an example of a city that has managed to have tourism and that the tourism is not in the detriment of the rights of the city, the idea that Barcelona is for the people of Barcelona,” Collboni said.
He said tourist flat rentals and short cruise stopovers were causing problems for the city and for its pursuit of quality tourism.
“When it comes to a choice between tourists using housing and the right to housing, we’ve decided to put the right to housing in Barcelona first,” Collboni said. “We want a tourism that respects its destination.”
He added that the idea of the rise was not to deter cruise visitors but to ensure they paid their way and generated revenue that could be invested in projects.
Another large demonstration was due to be held in Majorca on Sunday evening. The protest in Palma was called by the Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) platform, under the slogan “Let’s change path, let’s put limits on tourism”.