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Barcelona Approves 24 Euro Tax for Cruise Passengers

The City of Barcelona will raise its fees for cruise passengers to 24 euros per person in municipal taxes, according to a report by Metropoli Aberta.

The local news source said that the decision was approved by Barcelona’s City Council following a meeting of the Committee on Economy and Finance.

Guests staying in the city for less than 12 hours will be required to pay the increased fee, which was proposed by Mayor Jaume Collboni earlier this year.

The initiative will triple the current tax, an increase that was originally set to be applied gradually through 2029.

While the immediate increase was green lit by local authorities, it is expected to be enacted into law following the upcoming fiscal ordinances meeting, scheduled for the end of the year.

A supporter of the measure was quoted as saying that cruise tourism is currently unsustainable for Barcelona, impacting the day-to-day life of the city’s neighborhoods.

Representing the BComú political party, Marc Serra said that the change serves as a tool to send a message to cruise lines, pushing them to “seek other destinations.”

The increase is also expected to incentivize homeporting operations, reducing the number of port of call guests arriving in the city onboard cruise ships.

In addition to paying the 24- Euro municipal fee, passengers will also pay an additional 6 euros in regional taxes.

Barcelona has also been reportedly discussing limiting the number of cruise guests arriving in the city, considering an annual cap of 3.5 million passengers.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the city approved a plan to reduce the number of cruise terminals in its port.

In an effort that also aims to modernize the city’s infrastructure, three cruise terminals are expected to be demolished to make room for a newer and larger facility.

PortMiami has announced a record cruise and cargo year.

The port experienced an increase of 5.8 per cent in containerized cargo movements for its 2018 Fiscal Year with a total of 1,084,000 (twenty-foot equivalent units) and an increase of 4.7 per cent in cruise visitors with a total of 5,592,000 passengers during the 12 month period ending September 30, 2018, according to a press release.

On the cruise side, PortMiami officials attribute the growth to expanded business opportunities, according to a statement. n 2018, Royal Caribbean International added sailings to the Empress of the Seas and welcomed the newly renovated Mariner of the Seas. Oceania Cruises and Disney Cruise Line extended their winter seasons.

The port also welcomed three new cruise lines: Viking Ocean Cruises, Victory Cruise Lines, and Seabourn. Additionally, it welcomed Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Magic and the new Carnival Horizon. MSC also introduced its new-build, the MSC Seaside, to the port’s line-up.

“I am proud to say that today PortMiami is a full-service global hub handling some of the largest vessels in the industry,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “We’re starting to see the results of more than $1 billion of completed infrastructure and a port team that gets the job done. I would like to thank the entire PortMiami team for their hard work and dedication. The Port’s continued growth would not be possible without them.”

“I want to thank all of PortMiami’s dedicated partners including the cruise and cargo lines, the International Longshoremen’s Associations’ Locals 1416 and 1922, Miami-Dade Police and Fire Departments, the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Miami, U.S. Coast Guard, the Biscayne Bay Pilots among so many others,” said Chairwoman of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee Rebeca Sosa. “New facilities, berths and terminals are in the works to accommodate the industry’s new generation of vessels. The future is only getting brighter at our seaport.”