Popular Spanish metropolis break vacation spot set to double vacationer tax – costing guests as much as £13 an evening
Tourists visiting Barcelona could face nightly fees of up to €15 (£13) following a significant increase in the local tourist tax, making it one of the highest in Europe.
The Catalan city, ranked Spain‘s top tourist destination in 2025, has doubled its tourism tax as part of its efforts to curb overtourism and finance affordable housing for locals.
Despite increasingly vocal protests from residents regarding overcrowding, the city drew roughly 16 million tourists last year, contributing to a record-setting year for Spain, which welcomed a total of 96.8 million foreign visitors.
Barcelona residents say they’re being priced out of their own communities due to the increase in short-term holiday lets for tourists.
However, under new regulations, set to come into force in April, the regional parliament of Catalonia has doubled the tax for holiday rental guests to a maximum of €12.5 (£10.91) per night, up from €6.25 (£5.45).
The rise comes ahead of a previously announced plan to ban all short‑term rental accommodation by 2028.
In an effort to curb overtourism, Barcelona has doubled its tourist tax from between €5 (£4.36) and €7.50 (£6.54) per night to as much as €15 (£13)
Hotel guests will soon be required to pay between €10 (£8.73) and €15 (£13) per night, up from €5 (£4.36) and €7.50 (£6.54), depending on the category, with the likelihood that guests will pay more at four and five-star hotels.
The new fees mean a two-night stay for a couple booked into a four-star hotel – which make up nearly half of all hotels in the city – could cost an extra €46.60 (£40), as solo guests can be charged up to €11.40 (£9.95) per night.
Meanwhile, guests staying at five-star hotels could face fees of up to €15 (£13), while cruise passengers will continue to pay approximately €6 (£5.23).
A quarter of the funds raised through increased tourist tax will be used to deal with Barcelona’s housing crisis, as reported by Reuters.
A two-night stay at a four-star hotel in Barcelona could cost couples an extra €46.60 (£40) when the rise comes in
Irene Verrazzo, a 33‑year‑old nurse from Italy, told the publication that she would most likely not return to the city following the latest hike to nightly fees.
She said: ‘I don’t think this added expense is fair. They already make money from tourists spending in shops, visiting their monuments, etc.’
However, 21‑year‑old student and local resident Ivan Liu believes the hike seems plausible, but added it’s unlikely to solve the housing crisis.
Hotel owners have also expressed concern over the tax raise, which some say could drive away a significant number of tourists in the future.
Before the hike, Amsterdam held the highest daily rate for tourists in Europe, who are charged an average nightly cost of approximately €18.45.
Manel Casals, general director of Barcelona’s hoteliers’ group, further warned: ‘One day they will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.’
