Faced with the escalating challenge of overtourism, a growing number of countries are implementing strategies to reduce the impact of excessive visitor numbers. In a recent development, the mayor of Barcelona has announced plans to increase the tourist tax for cruise passengers who visit the city for less than 12 hours. This decision underscores the city's commitment to addressing the repercussions of overwhelming tourism in the vibrant Catalan capital.
Barcelona has seen a surge in protests against overtourism. Protesters have been vocal about their discontent, chanting "Tourists go home" and using water guns in public against travellers. And it looks like the authorities have been listening. The mayor's recent actions are part of a series of measures to mitigate the impact of mass tourism in Barcelona.
Barcelona is among the top destinations for cruise passengers, having welcomed approximately 3.6 million visitors, according to the latest data. According to mayor Jaume Collbini, "In the case of stopover cruise passengers (less than 12 hours), there is intensive use of public space without any benefit for the city and a feeling of occupation and saturation. We want to have tourism that is respectful of the destination." The existing daily tourist tax for stopover cruise passengers amounts to INR 637 (EUR 7). The exact increase in tax has yet to be disclosed.
Collboni also said that Barcelona plans to prohibit visitors from renting apartments by 2028 and has implemented extra tourist taxes. This is due to several reasons. Visitors are often held responsible for deteriorating living standards and increasing prices, particularly housing. Certain areas also grapple with issues related to "party tourism."
The protests related to mass tourism are becoming fairly common in many cities. According to news agencies, Venice received 5.5 million visitors in 2019, and the figures have continued to rise. Venice's pilot plan to curb overtourism by charging an entry fee to its famed canals will came into effect on April 25, 2024. As the number of visitors to these places increases, the negative effects of mass tourism, such as pollution and damage to tourist sites, are becoming more evident. This puts a lot of pressure on the affected areas to manage an overwhelming number of tourists.
(With inputs from multiple news agencies)