Barcelona, a well-liked Mediterranean cruise port, is planning to extend the vacationer tax for cruise passengers considerably.
Presently set at €7 per day for lower than 12 hours, town’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, hinted at a considerable hike throughout a current interview.
‘Substantial’ Improve Deliberate
This cruise tax hike goals to handle the impression of mass tourism in Barcelona and can want approval from the Catalan regional authorities. With potential modifications on the horizon, cruise vacationers may even see increased charges when visiting this vibrant Spanish metropolis.
A critic of the cruise business, Collboni sees it as one other measure to “sort out the implications of mass tourism” in Barcelona. Town has commissioned research to judge how a lot the tax enhance ought to be.
| “Tourism is a crucial sector of its financial system however that stated, I’m decided to sort out the unfavourable impacts that mass tourism is having for town,” the mayor stated. Referring to brief port calls, he added: “You get an intensive use of public area with none profit. We wish tourism that respects its vacation spot.” |
Together with the Spanish island of Mallorca, Barcelona has been on the forefront of anti-tourism protests. A current demonstration of a number of thousand marches occurred in Catalan metropolis, with protestors spraying vacationers with water pistols.
CLIA Responds to Rising Opposition to Cruise Ships
This has alarmed the European arm of the Cruise Traces Worldwide Affiliation. Director Marie-Caroline Laurent stated cruise strains could quickly must make itinerary modifications to skip ports like Barcelona.
| “There shall be some consideration of adapting itineraries if we really feel that each one passengers is not going to be well-treated,” she stated. “The scenes which were seen in locations like Barcelona have an effect on the popularity of the vacation spot.” |
Mayor Jaume Collboni just lately stated town is at breaking level relating to cruise ship capability, nonetheless CLIA responded by claiming cruise ship company solely make up about 4% of Barcelona’s whole vacationer numbers.
