Overview
- Catalonia’s regional parliament approved the measure on Feb 25, with per‑night hotel charges set between €10 and €15 per person depending on category.
- Guests in holiday rentals will pay up to €12.50 per person per night, a step that precedes Barcelona’s planned 2028 ban on short‑term lets.
- Authorities say the higher levy is intended to manage visitor pressure in a city that has faced mounting resident protests over tourism’s impact on housing.
- Cruise passengers will continue to pay an existing levy of around €6, which remains largely unchanged under the new rules.
- Hotel industry leaders warn the increase could deter visitors, with hoteliers’ chief Manel Casals criticizing the pace and scale of the hike in a city hosting roughly 16 million tourists annually, including major convention traffic.