Carlos Garrido on cruise tax: shortsighted and dangerous
Voice reading · ~1 min
Carlos Garrido, acting president of the Tourism Board, has nailed it: the proposal to hike the municipal surcharge on transit cruise passengers in Barcelona from 8 to 24 euros is a textbook mistake. As Nexotur reports, Garrido warns that such a measure «could seriously reduce Barcelona's competitiveness as one of the main Mediterranean cruise ports».
And he is right. Cruises do have an impact, sure, but jacking up the tax by 200% overnight isn't tourism management, it's fiscal punishment. While other Mediterranean ports rub their hands together, Barcelona is putting a noose around its own neck. The Tourism Board does well to speak up: this tax doesn't just penalize the passenger, it drives away calls, investment and jobs. Let's hope city officials listen before signing their own tourism decline.
Was this article useful?
The daily brief
One sharp travel-industry brief a day. Free.
Editorial content by Notitur. It may contain errors. Verify anything important with the original source.
This article may mention third-party products, companies or services for informational purposes. Notitur does not endorse them and is not responsible for them or for what they offer. Editorial content curated by the Notitur team.
Notitur is an independent digest. It is not the official site of any brand mentioned. Content is editorial and produced with AI assistance and editorial review, and may contain errors. Verify anything important with the original source. This is not financial, legal or investment advice. Some links or blocks may be sponsored or affiliate. Trademarks belong to their owners. You can unsubscribe at any time with one click, and you can request access or deletion of your data at notitur.com/contact.
The daily brief
One sharp travel-industry brief a day. Free.