It’s going to get more taxing keeping up with Barcelona’s taxes. In addition to being charged an existing tourist levy of €1 (US$1.10) for a stay of less than 12 hours or €3 for a stay of more than 12 hours, Barcelona will soon impose a new cruise pollution tax on tourists from visiting ships.
Catalonia minister for climate action Teresa Jorda said that the government’s proposal for this new levy is expected to be announced “in the coming few weeks”. This additional tax is supposedly meant to tackle the effects of pollution and “regulate emissions in the port areas of Catalonia”.
As Europe’s busiest port, Barcelona is considered one of the most polluted in the continent. It was estimated that the port is responsible for 10% of Barcelona’s NOx emissions, mainly from cargo and cruise ships.
According to Transport & Environment, Europe’s clean transport campaign group, the port authority in Barcelona has been considering providing electricity in ports since 2019 so cruise liners can turn off their engines while moored.