The popular European tourist hotspot is set to raise its ‘tourist tax’ again this year

A popular city break destination in Spain has announced it will increase its tourist tax later this year for the second time in 2024. Barcelona will increase the cost of its visitor tax in October for anyone traveling there, but there’s a catch.

The city’s tourist tax was first introduced in 2012, adding an additional cost to those holidaying in the region. To combat mass tourism in Barcelona, ​​the city has implemented a surcharge based on the type of visitor accommodation a person stays in.

At the beginning of April this year, the charge rose from €2.75 (£2.33) to €3.25 (£2.75). To further tackle the city’s overcrowding, the city council recently voted to increase the tax by up to €4 (£3.38) per person from October, according to Euronews.

This means that anyone planning to travel to Barcelona will have to pay both the regional and municipal tourist tax. The regional tax varies depending on the type of accommodation you are staying in.

For four-star hotels it is €1.70 (£1.44), for rental accommodation such as Airbnb it is €2.25 (£1.89) and for five-star and luxury hotels it is €3, €50 (£2.96), according to Euronews. Passengers entering via a cruise spending less than 12 hours in the city pay €3 (£2.54) in the region, while those spending more than 12 hours pay €2 (£1.69).

The separate city tax, which applies for a stay of up to seven nights, is currently set at €3.25 per night and €4 for those staying in tourist apartments or stopping on a cruise of less than 12 hours. From October, tourists will have to pay the city 4 euros on top of the regional tourist tax, which means an increase of 0.75 euros per night.

This news comes after Barcelona’s mayor announced a crackdown short term vacation rentals in the city, which is blamed for the local housing crisis and rising rents. The city will not issue new rental licenses and existing ones will not be renewed.

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