Catalonia Doubles Tourist Tax, Hits Luxury Hotels Up to €15

Catalonia's parliament has approved a law doubling the tourist tax, effective from April, which will apply to Andorran visitors alongside other tourists.

The measure, passed this morning with votes from PSC, ERC, and the Comuns, increases the base rate for luxury hotels in Barcelona from €3.50 to €7 per night. Adding the updated municipal surcharge of €5, the total rises to €12, with Barcelona city council able to raise it further to €15. Across the rest of Catalonia, five-star hotels will pay €4.50 per night from April 2026—up to €8.50 including surcharge—and €6 from 2027, with a maximum of €10 after any municipal addition.

The hike applies across all tourist accommodations, and every municipality can now impose its own surcharge of up to €4, provided it does not exceed the Generalitat's base rate. The law introduces a single annual settlement period and allocates 25% of the Generalitat's revenue to housing policies, with the remaining 75% supporting the tourism promotion fund.

Supporters, including the governing parties, argue the sector is thriving—with projections of 25 million visitors and €26 billion in revenue for 2025—and the increase will not harm activity. Opposition parties Junts, PP, Vox, and Aliança Catalana voted against, while CUP abstained. They warned of potential negative impacts on tourism and accused Salvador Illa's government of prioritising revenue collection.