Barcelona’s City Council, led by Deputy Mayor Jaume Collboni, is implementing new measures to regulate tourism and improve urban management, according to El Economista.
The Council proposes a significant increase in parking fees for tourist buses, from 20 euros to 80 euros per day, as part of a broader strategy to manage tourism and reduce congestion.
This plan complements previous initiatives, including the elimination of all tourist accommodations by 2029 and raising the tourist tax to the maximum legal limit of 4 euros.
Focus on mobility
Deputy Mayor for Economy Jordi Valls and Economic Promotion Manager Miquel Rodríguez presented the new tourism management plan, which aims to enhance city life for residents while mitigating tourism’s impact on mobility.
Barcelona currently sees around 170,000 daily visitors, with heavy concentration in specific areas, and employs approximately 150,000 people in the tourism sector.
The new program, with a budget of 254.7 million euros through 2027, encompasses 55 actions across 12 key areas, including urban space management, taxation, mobility, and sustainability.
Notable components include the High Traffic Areas Management Plan (EGA) and the 'Zona Bus 4.0' project, which seeks to limit tourist bus parking and encourage public transport use.
The quadrupling of parking fees for tourist buses is expected to boost municipal revenue from approximately 1 million euros to over 4 million euros.
The City Council also aims to address illegal tourist apartments by collaborating with advertising platforms to ensure compliance.
Valls emphasized the importance of managing tourism levels to reduce overcrowding and ensure fair contributions from all visitors.
