Barcelona’s plan to increase the tourist tax has driven a wedge between the Hotel Guild and the municipal executive led by Mayor Jaume Collboni. While the city argues the measure is necessary to manage mass tourism, hoteliers warn it could harm a vital sector of the local economy.
The Special Urban Plan for Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT), introduced during Ada Colau’s administration, already restricts hotel development in central areas. Even so, Collboni has underlined that up to 5,000 new rooms could still be created, particularly in La Sagrera, once the area around the future station is redeveloped. He has repeatedly argued that once tourist flats are phased out in 2028, demand will shift back to hotels.
But the industry fears the new levy will damage Barcelona’s appeal for large-scale events. ‘The cost of a congress like Mobile World Congress could increase by between €400,000 and €600,000,’ warned Hotel Guild president Jordi Clos. He accused the city of pursuing a policy that ‘fiscally suffocates’ the sector.
The Collboni administration, however, insists the burden will fall on visitors, not businesses. Deputy mayor for the economy Jordi Valls pointed out that hotel prices have already risen by four euros a night this August, reaching an average of €194. Luxury hotels have increased rates by 27 per cent since 2020 and by 61 per cent over the past decade. ‘One euro more per room cannot possibly have a deterrent effect,’ Valls argued.
The tourist tax increase, backed by ERC, is part of a wider effort to curb mass tourism. Alongside the 2028 ban on tourist flats, Collboni has also sealed an agreement with the Barcelona Port Authority and the Comuns to reduce the number of cruise terminals.
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