Why Spain's tourist taxes are not such a big deal
Opinions over tourist taxes are divided in Spain, as an apparent wave of resentment against mass tourism brews. Which places have these ecotaxes, where are they being mulled and do they really represent a big spend for visitors?
Tourist taxes in Spain are small fees that are added to your nightly accommodation rates and go directly to the local councils and government.
The main purpose is to help finance conservation and cultural projects and also promote sustainable tourism practices and help combat overtourism. For this reason, they are sometimes also referred to as eco-taxes.
Which places in Spain have tourist taxes and how much are they?
Currently, tourist taxes are only applied in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, but several other regions are considering implementing them too.
Everyone over the age of 16 is obliged to pay tourist tax when they stay in hotels, apartments, campsites and cruise ships in Catalonia, and everyone over the age of 12 in the Balearics. Your accommodation will typically charge you when you arrive, as it's added separately on top of your nightly rate.
The amount you pay depends on the area you stay in, the type of accommodation and the length of stay. The prices in Catalonia can range from €0.60 per night in some areas up to €6.25 per night if you’re staying in a five-star hotel in the centre of Barcelona. The rates recently increased from April 1st 2024.
For example, anyone staying in five-star hotels will pay an extra €6.75 per night, which will add up to €47.25 for a week per person. Those staying in an Airbnb self-catering apartment will pay €5.50 per night or €38.50 extra for the week per person.
In the Balearics, the price ranges from €0.25 per night if you’re staying in low season, up to €4 per night for a luxury five-star property during high season.
It’s not just foreign tourists that are subject to these taxes, foreign residents and even Spanish nationals must pay tourist taxes if they stay in tourist accommodation in these two regions. There may sometimes be a reduction for these people if they are staying for reasons other than tourism, however, including work or health.
Catalonia introduced tourist taxes in 2012 and was the first region to do so. This was followed by the Balearic Islands in 2016.
Recently there has been a lot of backlash against these added fees in the foreign and national press, while tourism associations and critics are worried that if more regions introduce them it will add an extra financial burden for holidaymakers and may even deter some of them from coming to Spain.
The reality is that these taxes will most likely affect people staying in cities and resorts already suffering from overtourism the most, as well staying those staying in five-star accommodation who can afford it.
Those staying in budget to midrange accommodation will have a small extra fee, but this should be factored into the cost of a holiday.
READ ALSO: Slow travel - Six inspiring ways to experience it and help Spain
Where in Spain have ecotaxes been rejected?
At the end of 2022, Valencia announced it would also impose a tourist tax to be reinvested into the sustainable development of the tourism sector and address the issue of lack of affordable housing in popular tourist areas.
It was met with some criticism, so at the end of 2023 the new right-wing coalition government decided to scrap the plan.
The Canary Islands were also considering introducing an eco-tax following protests against mass tourism, but the Canary Parliament voted against it after much pushback from right-wing parties.
READ ALSO: Spain's Canaries rule out tourist tax and property ban for non-residents
The Spanish capital Madrid also considered introducing these taxes in 2015 and again in 2018, but the plan never actually materialised and some saw it as unnecessary.
Which places in Spain are considering implementing tourist taxes?
Not every city hall in Spain is against these taxes, recently, many other locations in Spain have been considering implementing them.
The Castilla-La Mancha city of Toledo has been studying whether it should impose tourist taxes. The reason for this is that many visitors to Toledo come on day trips from Madrid and only spend a few hours in the city. As they’re not staying overnight and often not eating in the city either, Toledo sees very little of this tourist money.
Therefore, the city is considering charging a tourist tax for the tour operators who run the day trips and tours in order to improve facilities for tourists at the bus stops and public toilets etc. The idea is only to tax these tour groups, not individual tourists or families.
The Andalusian capital of Seville is another city that wants to start implementing a tourist tax.
A recent report by the City Council revealed that the city could have earned just over €24 million if it had introduced tourist taxes in 2023.
It based these on figures of €2.33 per overnight stay for those in 1-3 star properties and a charge of €2.63 per night for apartments. For entire homes for tourist use, the tax would be around €3.17 and for five-star hotels it would be €3.84.
But, the central Andalusian government is against the idea and does not want the city to introduce it.
Are tourist taxes such a big deal?
The general consensus is that these taxes do go to help improve the local environment, tourist facilities and make trips more sustainable.
They have certainly done little to resolve the issue of mass tourism, as evidenced by rising visitor numbers in Catalonia and the Balearics.
READ MORE: Why Spain's mass tourism measures haven't worked
However, in terms of the expense they entail for foreign visitors, it cannot be considered to be a dealbreaker to have to spend an extra €94 for a couple staying at a five-star hotel in Barcelona for a week.
Up to 137 major tourist destinations across Europe from Amsterdam to Venice have rolled out tourist taxes, which add slightly to the already higher costs of international travel in recent years.
And Spain is no different - hotel, flights, and even alcohol have experienced price hikes, making a summer holiday in Spain this summer more expensive than the previous year.
And yet, tourist tax or not, Spain remains a more cost-effective holiday destination than most countries in Western Europe.
READ MORE:
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Tourist taxes in Spain are small fees that are added to your nightly accommodation rates and go directly to the local councils and government.
The main purpose is to help finance conservation and cultural projects and also promote sustainable tourism practices and help combat overtourism. For this reason, they are sometimes also referred to as eco-taxes.
Which places in Spain have tourist taxes and how much are they?
Currently, tourist taxes are only applied in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, but several other regions are considering implementing them too.
Everyone over the age of 16 is obliged to pay tourist tax when they stay in hotels, apartments, campsites and cruise ships in Catalonia, and everyone over the age of 12 in the Balearics. Your accommodation will typically charge you when you arrive, as it's added separately on top of your nightly rate.
The amount you pay depends on the area you stay in, the type of accommodation and the length of stay. The prices in Catalonia can range from €0.60 per night in some areas up to €6.25 per night if you’re staying in a five-star hotel in the centre of Barcelona. The rates recently increased from April 1st 2024.
For example, anyone staying in five-star hotels will pay an extra €6.75 per night, which will add up to €47.25 for a week per person. Those staying in an Airbnb self-catering apartment will pay €5.50 per night or €38.50 extra for the week per person.
In the Balearics, the price ranges from €0.25 per night if you’re staying in low season, up to €4 per night for a luxury five-star property during high season.
It’s not just foreign tourists that are subject to these taxes, foreign residents and even Spanish nationals must pay tourist taxes if they stay in tourist accommodation in these two regions. There may sometimes be a reduction for these people if they are staying for reasons other than tourism, however, including work or health.
Catalonia introduced tourist taxes in 2012 and was the first region to do so. This was followed by the Balearic Islands in 2016.
Recently there has been a lot of backlash against these added fees in the foreign and national press, while tourism associations and critics are worried that if more regions introduce them it will add an extra financial burden for holidaymakers and may even deter some of them from coming to Spain.
The reality is that these taxes will most likely affect people staying in cities and resorts already suffering from overtourism the most, as well staying those staying in five-star accommodation who can afford it.
Those staying in budget to midrange accommodation will have a small extra fee, but this should be factored into the cost of a holiday.
READ ALSO: Slow travel - Six inspiring ways to experience it and help Spain
Where in Spain have ecotaxes been rejected?
At the end of 2022, Valencia announced it would also impose a tourist tax to be reinvested into the sustainable development of the tourism sector and address the issue of lack of affordable housing in popular tourist areas.
It was met with some criticism, so at the end of 2023 the new right-wing coalition government decided to scrap the plan.
The Canary Islands were also considering introducing an eco-tax following protests against mass tourism, but the Canary Parliament voted against it after much pushback from right-wing parties.
READ ALSO: Spain's Canaries rule out tourist tax and property ban for non-residents
The Spanish capital Madrid also considered introducing these taxes in 2015 and again in 2018, but the plan never actually materialised and some saw it as unnecessary.
Which places in Spain are considering implementing tourist taxes?
Not every city hall in Spain is against these taxes, recently, many other locations in Spain have been considering implementing them.
The Castilla-La Mancha city of Toledo has been studying whether it should impose tourist taxes. The reason for this is that many visitors to Toledo come on day trips from Madrid and only spend a few hours in the city. As they’re not staying overnight and often not eating in the city either, Toledo sees very little of this tourist money.
Therefore, the city is considering charging a tourist tax for the tour operators who run the day trips and tours in order to improve facilities for tourists at the bus stops and public toilets etc. The idea is only to tax these tour groups, not individual tourists or families.
The Andalusian capital of Seville is another city that wants to start implementing a tourist tax.
A recent report by the City Council revealed that the city could have earned just over €24 million if it had introduced tourist taxes in 2023.
It based these on figures of €2.33 per overnight stay for those in 1-3 star properties and a charge of €2.63 per night for apartments. For entire homes for tourist use, the tax would be around €3.17 and for five-star hotels it would be €3.84.
But, the central Andalusian government is against the idea and does not want the city to introduce it.
Are tourist taxes such a big deal?
The general consensus is that these taxes do go to help improve the local environment, tourist facilities and make trips more sustainable.
They have certainly done little to resolve the issue of mass tourism, as evidenced by rising visitor numbers in Catalonia and the Balearics.
READ MORE: Why Spain's mass tourism measures haven't worked
However, in terms of the expense they entail for foreign visitors, it cannot be considered to be a dealbreaker to have to spend an extra €94 for a couple staying at a five-star hotel in Barcelona for a week.
Up to 137 major tourist destinations across Europe from Amsterdam to Venice have rolled out tourist taxes, which add slightly to the already higher costs of international travel in recent years.
And Spain is no different - hotel, flights, and even alcohol have experienced price hikes, making a summer holiday in Spain this summer more expensive than the previous year.
And yet, tourist tax or not, Spain remains a more cost-effective holiday destination than most countries in Western Europe.
READ MORE:
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