By TravoUpdate
Barcelona's mayor, Jaume Collboni, plans to raise the tourist fee for cruise guests who spend less than twelve hours in the city.
The fee increase is part of efforts to mitigate the effects of mass tourism in Barcelona.
Mitigating Mass Tourism
Collboni aims to revoke permits for 10,101 short-term rental flats by 2028 to curb tourist apartment rentals.
Short-Term Rental Ban
The measures come in response to demonstrations against the negative effects of tourism on daily life in Spain.
Impact of Mass Tourism
The current daily fee for cruise passengers is €7 (£6), which is set to increase to ensure the city benefits more from short visits.
Current Fee
Collboni emphasizes that housing rights for residents take precedence over tourist accommodations.
Priority on Housing
Studies are being conducted to determine the new fee amount, focusing on ensuring fair contributions from cruise visitors.
Study on Fee Increase
Despite the tourist apartment ban, Collboni assures there are enough hotels in the city and surrounding areas to accommodate visitors.
Visitor Accommodation
Spain saw a record 85.1 million foreign visitors last year, a 19% increase from 2022.
Tourism Surge in Spain
Groups like Canarias se Agota and Prou Eivissa highlight the strain of increased tourism on public services and resources, leading to planned demonstrations like the one in Palma, Mallorca.
Protests Against Tourism