As European destinations continue their crackdown on overtourism, a popular city has declared, "Not one tourist more."Barcelona, Spain, has emerged as one of Europe’s most forceful opponents of mass tourism in recent years.Now, the commissioner for sustainable tourism, José Antonio Donaire, is doubling down on the city's efforts to prevent overcrowding.Cruise passengers visiting Barcelona for less than 12 hours could pay €30, or about $35, in combined taxes, according to Cruise Industry News.POPULAR VACATION HOT SPOTS SLAP LIMITS ON TOURIST RENTALS, DRIVING AND MORE TO PROTECT 'STUNNING' SPACESAfter a July 15 committee meeting, Barcelona moved to seek the maximum €24, or about $27, tax on cruise visitors staying under 12 hours, the outlet reported.The proposed amount would triple the €8, or roughly $9, municipal rate previously planned. An anti-tourism placard is seen during one of the demonstrations in Barcelona against overtourism and the impacts it has on residents. (Paco Freire/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)"Barcelona began rethinking tourism with innovative measures like the moratorium on new hotel construction back in 2017 … many of the measures will take time before they have an impact.
But the message of the city now is: Not one tourist more," Donaire recently told The New York Times in an interview.Catalonia, the northeastern region where Barcelona is located, attracted some 20.1 million tourists, 0.6% more than in 2024, according to The Associated Press (AP).CRUISE SHIP CRACKDOWN HITS TOURIST HOT SPOT AS CITY FAST-TRACKS NEW VISITOR TAXRising housing prices, overwhelmed public transport and a flood of tourists in historic districts have angered locals, according to Reuters. But nothing has been more irksome to residents than the massive overcrowding, the Times reported.Barcelona, Spain is enacting strict policies to combat overtourism.(iStock)In May, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni said he wants cruise passengers to pay up to $9....