Tourism

The increased revenue will be used for an enhanced social return of tourism and fund the city's essential services, such as cleaning, security, public transport, and lighting.

Pending final approval after the summer, the Barcelona City Council has provisionally approved an amendment to Fiscal Ordinance 2.2, which sets the amount of the surcharge on the Tourist Stay Tax (IEET). The current rate of €3.25 will rise to €4 per person per night for all categories of establishments, the maximum allowed by the Generalitat of Catalonia’s regulations.

This increase, approved by most of the city’s municipal groups, is expected to generate up to €20 million more in revenue each year, solidifying the tourist tax as the third largest source of municipal income. Additionally, it will contribute to managing tourism and mitigating its impact on the city’s daily life.

The decision to raise the tourist tax aims to enhance the social return from tourism and finance essential city services, as visitors make intensive use of certain public services in Barcelona. As Jordi Valls, Deputy Mayor for Economy, Finance, Economic Promotion, and Tourism, emphasises, “a visitor is a temporary citizen who makes intensive use of public services, so their contribution should finance cleaning, security, lighting, and public transport and help in maintaining the quality of these services.”

Valls also explains that these funds “will be used to finance the Plan for High-Impact Spaces (EGA), which aims to ‘create greater harmony so that the activity of tourism does not displace everyday activities in the neighbourhoods’.”

Finally, part of the surcharge revenue will be allocated to projects that promote the attraction and hosting of fairs and conferences, helping to diversify and invigorate the city’s economy.