The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has expressed concern over proposals to increase Barcelona’s tourist tax on short-stay cruise passengers, warning that the measure could weaken the city’s competitiveness and have unintended consequences for the local economy.
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said:
“While we understand the complex challenges of managing a world-class destination, the proposal to increase the tourist tax on short-stay cruise passengers could place Barcelona at a competitive disadvantage compared to other Mediterranean ports.
Barcelona has achieved remarkable success over many years, establishing itself as a global leader in tourism. However, we are concerned that these significant achievements, along with the widespread economic benefits they bring to the local community, could be inadvertently undermined by this increase.
Evidence WTTC has gathered from other destinations shows that sudden tax hikes rarely produce the intended outcomes. For example, the UK economy could be at risk of losing at least £14 billion in international visitor spend if daily visitor taxes of €10 were introduced. Additional costs to visitors to Barcelona would likely reduce the overall economic contribution generated by the cruise industry as tourists adjust their spending habits ashore. This, in turn, would potentially lead to job losses, impacting local employment and job creation within the city’s service sectors.
In a city like Barcelona, one of the world’s leading cruise homeports, welcoming around 4.0 million passengers each year and generating an average local spending of around €255 per homeport passenger, among the highest globally, the broader impact of such measures could be particularly significant, not only in terms of visitor demand but also in the fiscal contribution that supports local and regional economies. The cruise industry alone contributed €11.9 million in taxes to the Barcelona City Council in 2024.
WTTC highlights their wider role within the tourism ecosystem, as research from CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) shows that more than 60% of cruise travellers return to destinations they first discovered via a cruise, underlining the sector’s role as a gateway for future visits.
In parallel, Barcelona is already experiencing a broader decline in international travellers due to global economic pressures. Recent trends point to a softening in demand, including a 3.3% decline in 2024 in transit cruise passengers, while modest international spending growth projections of just 2.7% in 2025 place the city behind other major European destinations[1]. Introducing further barriers could create an unwelcome domino effect across the wider tourism ecosystem, affecting everything from local suppliers to transport providers.
We believe that long-term, sustainable growth in any major destination depends on effective, proactive planning and deep public and private stakeholder engagement at all levels. Rather than implementing these taxes, we recommend the local government to work closely with the tourism sector to find balanced solutions that support both the city’s sustainability goals and its vital economic interests. To this end, the World Travel & Tourism Council stands fully ready to collaborate with all relevant local and international stakeholders to help identify the best path forward for Barcelona, acting as a partner to ensure the city remains a thriving, competitive, and welcoming global hub.
According to evidence, the future of sustainable tourism cannot be built on short-term fiscal adjustments. It requires robust, long-term planning, meaningful consultation with the travel industry, and active stakeholder engagement at every level. By bringing together the private sector, local communities, and government authorities, destinations can co-design holistic strategies that protect local infrastructure without dismantling the economic engine that drives prosperity and jobs for the local community in Barcelona. This approach helps ensure the city remains good for residents and good for travellers.”
[1] Source: Oxford Economics