Barcelona Introduce Extra Cruise Ship Pollution Tax

In response to a letter sent to the Barcelona ministry of transport just last month, in May, the Catalonia minister for climate action is expected to make an official announcement in the coming weeks to introduce extra cruise ship pollution tax.  

This coming additional cruise ship tax will apply to all tourist ships that call at its port, as the Catalonia minister for climate action has stated. Currently, passengers on cruise ships already pay tourist tax depending on the length of their stay.  

• For a stay over 12 hours a passenger pays €3 in tourist tax 
• For a stay of 12 hours or less a passenger pays €1 tourist tax 
• Passengers must also pay a surcharge of €1.75 that is specifically for Barcelona 

The decision was announced by Teresa Jordà, Minister of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Government of Catalonia, who clarified that it was in response to a letter from the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, to the ministry of transport and the Port of Barcelona. This letter was sent last month. 

It was stated that this decision for extra cruise ship tax was made as part of the Government’s effort to regulate emissions in the port areas of Spain. This comes after the demand for travel has escalated building up to the summer of 2022 and many European destinations have dropped restrictions, including Spain (travellers can find out more about the restrictions for their chosen destination on the Foreign Travel Advice website). 

Teresa Jordà said, “We expect to be able to present, in the coming weeks, the government’s proposal to regulate emissions in the port areas of Catalonia. 

“We will be delighted to be able to share with Barcelona town hall the work carried out and the formula for this tax.” 

Alongside Barcelona’s plans to introduce extra cruise ship tax in the coming weeks, Venice has announced a change in plans. Previously Venice had planned to introduce an entry fee of up to €10 per day for travellers. This plan has now been postponed until 2023. The city’s authorities voted to delay the introduction of this fee. 

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