Barcelona plans to raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers in the city for less than 12 hours, aiming to tackle the overcrowding issue—because who knew a day cruise could bring such heavy baggage?

In an effort to reclaim its public spaces from the waves of day-tripping cruise passengers, Barcelona is set to hike the tourist tax for those who dock for less than 12 hours. Although details on the new rate remain under wraps, the move, championed by Mayor Jaume Collboni, aims to ensure that tourists—not locals—fund essential city projects. As anti-tourism sentiment swells across Spain, this measure is just one of many steps the city is taking to stave off a complete local meltdown, which also includes a plan to ban apartment rentals to tourists by 2028.

Currently, cruise passengers stopping over in Barcelona for a day are charged a tourist tax of €7 ($7.61). This tax was already meant to contribute to the upkeep of the city's infrastructure, but apparently, it’s not quite making the cut.

Mayor Jaume Collboni has stepped up, suggesting that these brief visitors should dig deeper into their designer luggage and pay more to cover the cost of local services. Schools need air conditioners, after all, and who better to pay for it than a group that's only temporarily overheating the city?

However, the exact amount by which the tourist tax will be increased is yet to be disclosed. Perhaps the suspense around the new rates is meant to keep both tourists and tax officials on their toes. One thing’s for sure: it’ll involve more than just pocket change.

Before this tax hike becomes reality, though, it must be agreed upon by the Catalan regional government. It seems even a simple plan to charge tourists more requires a journey through the labyrinth of governmental approvals.

The move is part of a broader push to address what city officials describe as the 'intensive use of public space' by stopover cruise passengers. These day visitors reportedly contribute to a feeling of overcrowding and 'saturation,' using facilities without providing much benefit to the city—like that one guest who shows up to the party, eats all the snacks, and leaves without even saying goodbye.

The plan to raise the tourist tax coincides with other initiatives aimed at controlling tourism-related impacts on Barcelona’s quality of life. Last month, Barcelona announced it will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028 to help make the city livable for locals. Barcelona will raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours, pending agreement with the Catalan regional government. (Just in case they thought they could sneak in and sneak out without leaving a little something behind!)

The push against overtourism is not unique to Barcelona. Anti-tourism protests have erupted in other popular destinations across Spain recently, including Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, and the Canary Islands. Apparently, the sentiment uniting these protests is, 'Enough is enough.'

Another such protest is scheduled to take place in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the largest Balearic Island, this Sunday evening. It's safe to assume slogans like 'Thanks, but no thanks' might feature prominently.

For the cruise-loving tourists, this could mean shelling out a bit more during their brief stays. Whether this deterred any would-be cruisers or simply encouraged them to prepare for a more costly shore excursion remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the residents of Barcelona can perhaps hope for a bit of relief from the swarms of day-trippers.

And if all goes according to plan, the cruise passengers might leave with a lighter wallet due to increased tourist taxes. It's like that old saying: Leave the world a better place than you found it—but don’t be surprised by the service charges.