Barcelona’s city government last week fired a salvo across the bow of the cruise industry, voting to double taxes on transit passengers and reduce the number of available terminals. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all cruise ship stopovers in the city, Mayor Jaume Collboni told reporters, in the biggest move yet to change the paradigm of mass tourism in the city.
While the pronouncement will certainly induce some eye rolling —another example of wacky Barcelona’s anti-tourism campaign! —Barcelona’s leaders are taking real action to stem the flood of tourists swamping the streets. Last year saw record activity in cruise activity, with 832 calls and more than 3.9 million passengers wandering La Rambla and lining up for tour buses.
Ultimately, leaders make decisions about what kind of city they want, and Barcelona’s City Council is fighting back against a tourism industry that many people believe has done real damage to the city. The council has already backed plans to eliminate licenses for Airbnb and similar short-term rental units.
Barcelona mayor’s proposal would not ban cruise ships, only the quick stops that deposit thousands of people into the streets only to see them leave in a few hours. Barcelona would still be used as a home port, which encourages passengers to stay in the city before or after their voyage.
The city is trying to encourage a cruise industry that brings people to the city’s hotels and restaurants, instead of simply using the city as a theme park for daily visitors who clog the roads and streets and don’t even buy lunch. Beyond tour operators and souvenir shops, cities often see little benefit from the cruise ship onslaught.
In the short term, the city doubled the tax on passengers who spend less than 12 hours in the city to 8 euros. It will also reduce the number of cruise ship terminals from seven to five, a concrete step that suggests it is serious about reconfiguring the port economy.
The city says it will use money raised by the new fees to improve the tourism infrastructure and develop more local housing, which remains to be seen. But Barcelona is moving beyond talk to take real action. Some may disagree, but at least the city is showing a willingness to step back from the buffet and rethink its approach to mass tourism.
Planning a trip to Barcelona? Subscribe to Barcelona Travel Tips.