Barcelona votes to double tourist tax surcharge to €8 by 2029

Barcelona City Council has approved a plan to raise the city's tourist tax surcharge by €1 annually until it reaches €8 in 2029.

The measure approved will see the surcharge rise to €5 in 2026, €6 in 2027, €7 in 2028, and finally €8 in 2029, double Barcelona city's current tourist tax surcharge of €4. 

The surcharge is in addition to the Catalan tourist tax, which varies according to the type of accommodation and stay.

The Catalan tourist tax is expected to increase later this year, up to €7 per night for five-star hotels, meaning some tourists could face a total charge of €15 in 2029.  

"Common sense"

"The more tourists pay, the less residents will have to," said Esquerra Republicana (ERC) leader Elisenda Alamany after Friday's council session.

Her party proposed the surcharge increase, and the measure passed with support from the ruling Socialists, and Barcelona en Comú. Junts abstained while the People's Party (PP) and Vox voted against.

"Managing tourism is common sense in this city," Alamany said ahead of the vote, stressing that the debate wasn't about being for or against tourism, but about shifting perspective: "Recovering that income allows us to ensure balance and build a successful city." 

Speaking to reporters after the vote, she welcomed the "solid majority" backing the measure, saying the aim was for tourists to contribute more.

Surcharge to fund key areas

Deputy Mayor for Economy and Tourism, Jordi Valls, expressed the city government's support for the measure, noting that the tourist surcharge already helps fund key areas such as public transport, safety, and climate initiatives.

He said they welcomed the phased approach in ERC's proposal, allowing the sector to adapt gradually as the tax increases.

"The city recognises that tourism is a key part of our economy, but there is consensus that it must be properly managed, and that includes the sector itself," Valls said.

The approved proposal also includes plans for the creation of a Tourism Reinvestment Fund in 2026, ringfencing funds for projects that "revert or reduce the impact of tourism and improve daily life for residents in the city neighbourhoods most popular with tourists."