Visitors staying in the area, or just stopping for a few hours as part of a cruise, face being slapped with a tourist tax bill as part of the city’s bid to combat overtourism in the area
Visitors to the city as well as the surrounding area will see a tourist tax hike(Image: Getty Images)
A popular city break destination in Spain has doubled its tourist taxes, and Brits could face paying an extra €12 (just over £10) per person per night on their next stay.
Barcelona saw 16 million visitors in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 2.9%, and with short and easy flights from the UK it has become a huge city break destination for Brits. In addition to the city itself, the Catalonia region is also popular with visitors from the UK and includes beach towns such as Salou, Tarragona, and Lloret de Mar.
However, the city’s vast tourism numbers have caused controversy in recent years, and Barcelona has been at the heart of anti-tourism protests. Residents have complained about the impact of tourism on the city, including rising property prices, and took to the streets in summer 2025 chanting at tourists to “go home”. There were well-publicised incidents of tourists being squirted with water guns as they relaxed on outdoor terraces.
In response to this, the local government has taken measures such as planning to ban short-term rentals such as Airbnbs by 2028. As of April 1, tourist taxes have doubled, according to Barcelona City Council’s website.
For those staying in the city itself, a Barcelona surcharge is added, which has also increased from €4 to €5 (about £4.36), meaning those who like to stay central pay more. From the money raised, 25% will go towards local housing initiatives.
The biggest rise will be seen by people staying in hotels in Barcelona’s centre. The rate for 5-star hotel stays will double from €3.50 to €7 per night (just over £6). Once you add the Barcelona surcharge, that’s an extra £10 per night for each guest over the age of 16. That means a couple on a long weekend away will need to pay an extra £60 on top of their hotel bill.
Tourist taxes on holiday lets has also doubled, although it’s generally less than hotels, rising from €2.25 to €4.50 (just under £4) a night. This is also subject to the Barcelona surcharge if you’re staying in the city itself.
Even passengers just passing through on a cruise will face higher fees. Those with stays of over 12 hours will see their taxes rise from €6 to €9 (about £7.85), while short-stay visitors under 12 hours will see their fees rise from €7 to €11 (just over £9.50). Cruise prices don’t always include tourist taxes, so visitors should check their booking details to see if they’ll need to pay.
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According to Reuters, some tourists could be put-off returning to Barcelona because of the additional taxes. A nurse from Italy interviewed by the news outlet reportedly said: “I don’t think this added expense is fair. They already make money from tourists spending in shops, visiting their monuments, etc.”
Another critic of the scheme was Manel Casals, general director of Barcelona’s hoteliers’ group, who said the local council had ignored pleas from the tourism industry to raise the rates gradually, warning: “One day they will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”
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