As of October 1, the municipal surcharge of Barcelona to the tourist tax comes into effect, increasing from 3.25 to 4 euros, with which the Catalan capital expects to collect around 100 million euros this year.
The surcharge applies to all categories of tourist establishments, and is an initiative that is part of the tourism management strategy that should contribute to financing the city's public services that are most affected by the pressure of tourist activity.
This increase in revenue will increase the social return of tourism and finance the city's ordinary services, such as cleaning, security, public lighting, or transport, as visitors make intensive use of certain public services in Barcelona.
It will also contribute to financing the Plan for Spaces of Great Affluence (EGA), with the aim of managing those areas of the city that are most saturated. It also seeks to improve coexistence between the city's residents and visitors with measures such as the increase in the number of civic agents, the improvement of public space, the management of tourist flows, and the revitalization of local commerce in these spaces.
Finally, a part of the revenue from this surcharge will be allocated to the celebration of fairs and congresses that help diversify the city's economy.