The town of Barcelona TAXATION WITHOUT ACCOMMODATION

Posted on 09/23/2016 | About Barcelona, Spain

The town of Barcelona imposes a tax for overnight tourists in the capital of Catalunya. The tourism tax has contributed 100 million euros to the regional government from the eight million visitors who stay in hotels. But the region gets 30 million visitors, and the local government is now hoping to get some revenue from those who just arrive for a day or even a few hours.

Collecting tax from tourists who arrive for the day by car might be challenging, but collecting from cruise line passengers would be less so. Last year the city of Barcelona welcomed 2.5 million visitors who evaded the tourist tax by sleeping on their cruise ship.The town is defending the move as a response to residents who complain about the hordes of tourists that invade their town. Last year Barcelona city hall conducted a study that showed 5.3 per cent of respondents thought tourism was the biggest problem facing the city, ahead of poverty at 5.1 per cent.
The number of visitors to Barcelona has more than tripled since it hosted the Olympics in 1992.