Barcelona City Council has approved the allocation of 13,758,742.44 euros from tourist tax revenue to fund a range of municipal tourism projects. This decision, made by the government commission on 30 April, aims to boost economic activity and improve tourism management across the city.

The funds will support initiatives such as Christmas lighting, promotion of local commerce, and management of high-traffic areas like the Sagrada Família and Park Güell. These projects contribute to economic reactivation and tourist promotion, according to the approved text.

Elisenda Alamany, President of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) in the City Council, previously highlighted a distinction in how tourist tax funds should be used. She stated that money from the municipal surcharge cannot go to tourism promotion. Instead, it must reduce tourism's impact in affected neighbourhoods through investments. This 13.7 million euro allocation comes specifically from the portion of the Impost d'Estades en Establiments Turístics (Tourist Accommodation Tax) collected by the Generalitat, which is then ceded to the City Council.

Understanding Barcelona's Tourist Tax Structure

Tourists staying in Barcelona accommodations, such as hotels, pay two distinct charges. One is the Tourist Accommodation Tax, collected by the Generalitat, with 50% ceded to the City Council. The other is a municipal surcharge.

The municipal surcharge, proposed by ERC, will increase by one euro per person per night annually until 2029. This will raise the charge from four euros to eight euros. This surcharge has been in effect since 2021.

Key Projects Receiving Funding

The approved expenses cover a wide array of initiatives. Over 2.3 million euros will go towards Christmas lighting. Another 1.5 million euros will promote local commerce consumption.

The City Council also allocated 1.3 million euros to support the capital status of local proximity commerce. Additionally, 200,000 euros will specifically benefit neighbourhoods within the Eixample district, home to over 260,000 residents.

Funds will also improve the tourist experience in high-traffic areas. This includes 1,522,129.32 euros for civic agents. The former Model Prison, now a memory centre, will receive approximately 155,000 euros for visitor services.

The Gabriel García Márquez library will use about 25,000 euros for tourist-related activities. Christmas tourism promotion campaigns will receive 850,000 euros. Economic promotion spaces, Beat Barcelona and Talent Arena 2026, secured 663,135.00 euros. Congress promotion will get 700,000 euros.

Other allocations include 50,000 euros for a "Geek Pride" celebration. The Arús Public Library will receive 50,000 euros for digitising its collection and cataloguing. Management and improvement of the Turó de la Rovira anti-aircraft batteries will use 78,500 euros. A promotional campaign for the Biennal del Pensament 2026 is set for 250,000 euros.

Previous Tourist Tax Revenue and Spending

Data provided by the City Council to TOT Barcelona shows that the tourist tax and municipal surcharge generated over 315 million euros for municipal coffers until 2024. The municipal surcharge alone brought in 180.7 million euros for Barcelona since its introduction in 2021.

The Generalitat's Tourist Accommodation Tax contributed more than 134.6 million euros to the City Council since 2014. Last December, TOT Barcelona reported that Jaume Collboni's executive had allocated approximately 42 million euros to tourism promotion and events until October 2025.

This previous spending included 25 million euros for city promotional campaigns and activities. Another 17 million euros went towards fostering international events.

The continued allocation of tourist tax funds reflects Barcelona's strategy to balance economic benefits with managing the impact of tourism. City officials will monitor these projects to ensure they meet their objectives of economic reactivation and improved visitor experience. This ongoing investment aims to shape a sustainable tourism model for the city's future.

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Originally published by Tot Barcelona. Read original article.