Barcelona Doubles Tourist Tax to Highest Level in Europe

The Spanish city of Barcelona, capital of the Catalonia region in northeastern Spain, has announced it will double the tourist tax on visitors in a move aimed at regulating tourist flow and supporting the local housing market in one of Europe’s most visited cities.

The Catalan Parliament passed a new law increasing the tax on tourists staying in hotels in the city, effective April 1, 2026. Rates will rise from €5–7.50 per night to €10–15, depending on the hotel’s category.

This increase is part of Barcelona’s efforts to address the impacts of overtourism, which local residents blame for rising property prices and worsening the housing crisis. A plan has also been announced to ban short-term rentals by 2028.

Before the tax adjustment, Barcelona ranked eleventh among European cities in accommodation taxes, according to 2025 booking platform data, while Amsterdam led the list with fees reaching approximately €18.45 per day.

The measures have prompted mixed reactions in the tourism and hospitality sectors. Some hotel workers expressed concern about the potential effect on visitor numbers, while supporters argue the move is necessary to balance tourism with residents’ quality of life.

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