It’s no secret that Spain has been hit hard by mass overtourism in recent years. The flood of unregulated tourism naturally led to a spring of locally organised anti-tourist protests last summer. One of the most watched anti-tourists protests took place in Barcelona, where thousands of locals took to the streets shouting: “tourists go home!”. Barcelona, the capital and largest city in the autonomous community of Catalonia, receives about 32 million visitors each year. Even before last summer’s protests, Barcelona implemented regulations to curb tourist noise pollution and announced a plan to bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028. One further tourist-targeted regulation was implemented by the Government of Catalonia. The regulation was a tax on all stays in tourism establishments across the region, with higher rates allocated for properties in Barcelona.

The tax was first introduced in 2012, but the charge has changed over the last decade. The revenue generated by the tax is added to the Tourism Development Fund with the aim of promoting Catalonia as a tourism destination, promoting responsible sustainable tourism and improving services for the inspection of tourism establishments. Each traveller staying in a tourist accommodation is subject to this tax. Tourist accommodations include anything from hotels, apartment hotels, campsites, rural tourism establishments, youth hostels and even cruise ships. The tax rate is paid per person and unit of stay (day or part thereof) and is part of the tax base for calculating the VAT.

The tax fee varies depending on type of accommodation, length of stay and whether you are staying in the city of Barcelona or in another area of Catalonia. The tax rate for different types of accommodation outside of Barcelona range from 0.45 euros to 2.25 euros. Most dwellings for tourist use, including 4-star hotels in Catalonia, are subject to a 0.90 euro tax. While those residing in a 5-star hotel, luxury campsite or similar establishment are subject to 2.25 euros.

These rates change for tourists dwelling within Barcelona. In the capital, travellers staying in 5-star hotels, luxury campsites and any dwelling for tourist use are subject to a firm 2.25 euro tax. With a maximum seven-night stay per person in the same accommodation over a continuous period, the total tax fee comes to 15.75 euros. Cruise ship passengers are subject to tourists tax as well, though charges vary depending on hours of stay. Cruise ship passengers anywhere in Catalonia (including Barcelona) are subject to the 2.25 euro tax if their stay exceeds 12 hours. Any cruise ship passengers staying in Catalonia (including Barcelona) under 12 hours are subject to a tax of 0.65 euros.

The only exemptions from the tax are for the following types of stays:. Stays subsidised by socials programmes of a government agency of any EU member state. Stays by people aged or under sixteen. Stays undertaken due to force majeure. Stays by any person for health reasons, and their carers. Your tourist accommodation will provide an invoice stating the amount of tax charged, breaking down the number of units of stay and the tax rate. Further information on the Catalonia Tax is available here .