The President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, and the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, have pledged to extend the vacationer tax on cruise ships stopping within the in style metropolis of Barcelona.
In accordance with Collboni, town welcomes 1.6 million short-stay cruise vacationers, and the prospects for development “will not be inexpensive”.
The 2 socialist leaders have pledged to considerably improve the vacationer tax, first launched in 2012, which is at present set at €4 per particular person per day, on cruise ships making stopovers of lower than 12 hours in Barcelona.
The particular figures of the brand new tax are but to be introduced, with the brand new tax requiring approval in regulation, accompanying the 2025 Catalan funds.
On leaving the assembly, nevertheless, Collboni assured the rise could be “substantial” and was assured that a rise would assist to “management demand”.
The Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, confirmed the settlement and mentioned the difficulty could be accompanied by “a extra international reflection on tourism taxation”, that would have an effect on the entire of Catalonia.
It comes after Collboni introduced in June controversial measures to ban vacationers from renting over 10,000 vacation lets listed in Barcelona from 2028.
Talking to the Spanish newspaper El Paid, Collboni mentioned: “Barcelona is a metropolis that’s open to guests and tourism is a crucial sector of its economic system.
“That mentioned, I’m decided to deal with the implications that mass tourism is having for town. Meaning going all the way in which with the ban on vacationer flats in 2028. However we’re additionally going to considerably elevate the tax for folks on cruise stopovers.”
He added the cruise tax rise was not geared toward deterring cruise guests, however to make sure they helped contribute to income that might be invested in tasks for town, together with putting in air-con in colleges.
Among the many different insurance policies to be thought-about is housing. The Authorities and Metropolis Council additionally agreed to renew the challenge to construct 1,700 public housing models on as much as 27 empty plots of land ceded by town council, a proposal that had already been agreed upon with the earlier authorities led by Pere Aragonès, however which fell by because of the rejection by Parliament within the 2024 funds.
The primary part, which in accordance with Dalmau will probably be launched “instantly” in September, will encompass the development of 637 properties on 11 plots of land, with a funds of €82 million (simply over £69 million).
The mayor additionally introduced the president with an extra 1,900 social flats on land ceded by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, an establishment that brings collectively a number of administrations and is the biggest proprietor of land within the Catalan capital.
The truth that the brand new Catalan govt has determined to re-activate the technical fee to cope with the growth of the Barcelona-El Prat airport was additionally celebrated, which must “enhance its interconnectivity” and have “extra direct flights” to keep away from stopovers in Madrid, Paris and London, in accordance with the mayor.
“It’s a crucial challenge for the economic system of our nation and our metropolis,” he argued.
They’ve additionally opted to get well from the final funds the settlement to increase a number of of Barcelona’s metro strains. Though to not be accomplished within the brief time period, the intention is for the L1 to succeed in Badalona, L3 to Esplugues, L2 by Montjuïc and L4 from La Pau to La Sagrera.