Mayor of Barcelona proposes tourist tax

 

The mayor of Barcelona spoke earlier in the week to say how the launch of a provincial law allowing cities to implement a 'tourist tax' would cover promotional campaigns and services in the city.

The mayor, Jordi Hereu, did not clarify how much the fee could amount to, while Barcelona Tourism has proposed charging one euro for each tourist stay, according to insider sources.

Hereu mentioned how the proposal is part of the debate on the Tourism Strategic Plan, which is a reflection of Barcelona but it should be part of a "general tax law." It is an idea that "will go forward", according to Hereu.

The mayor added that more talks are still required with other cities together with the Ministry of Economy, and from then on it would be to pass a state law allowing municipalities who wish to implement this tax.

Barcelona Tourism stressed that this is a proposal that is only being considered under the Strategic Tourism Plan at this stage, so no decision has, or will be made for some time, however they also commented that "we need more resources to promote tourism because competition is very high."