Travellers from Canada planning to explore one of the most renowned cities in Spain will have to budget extra on their next trip.
If you&#8217;re heading from Canada to Spain, you&#8217;ll soon have to pay more to stay in Barcelona, which is home to popular attractions such as the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Park Güell, and Casa Batlló. But overnight stays are going to cost you a little more, as the city is set to double its overnight accommodation tax in hotels and other temporary accommodations.
Tourist taxes are set to increase to around €10 to €15 (C$16.13 to C$24) per night per person starting April 1, reports <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/barcelona-tourist-tax-cost-b2927459.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>. The overnight tax rate for holiday rentals per person will also increase from €6.25 (C$10.08) to a maximum of €12.50 (C$20.16) per night.
Four-star hotels can charge up to €11.40 (C$18.38) per person, while five-star hotels may increase their nightly tax to €15 (C$24). The €6 (C$9.68) rate for cruise ship passengers will remain unchanged.
<div id="attachment_2247644" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2247644" class="size-full wp-image-2247644" src="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_2733343203-scaled.jpg" alt="canada spain" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_2733343203-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_2733343203-500x333.jpg 500w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_2733343203-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_2733343203-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_2733343203-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_2733343203-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />Pascal Huot/Shutterstock</div>
The tax increase was approved by the Catalan authorities for two reasons: to curb visitor numbers and to raise funds for affordable housing initiatives.
Barcelona is home to <a href="https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/la-poblacio-de-barcelona-sestabilitza-en-17-milions-de-persones_1523014.html" target="_blank">1.7 million</a> and has been overwhelmed by the effects of overtourism. According to the Barcelona Tourism Observatory, the city saw a 2.9 per cent increase in visitors in 2025, welcoming a total of <a href="https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/turisme/en/latest-news/news/barcelona-welcomes-16-million-visitors-in-2025-a-29-increase-on-the-previous-year-1597951" target="_blank">16 million visitors</a>. Tourists spent a total of €10.375 billion, or C$16.7 billion, during their visits.
The Spanish Ministry of Housing has also been working with online platforms such as Airbnb to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/spain-illegal-tourist-flats-removed-rentals-b2828105.html" target="_blank">crack down on unregistered rentals</a>.
In the summer last year, locals took to the streets of Barcelona to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8d87l6lp1o" target="_blank">protest against rising housing costs</a>. Some protesters targeted tourists and expats whom they blamed for driving up prices.
Barcelona isn&#8217;t the only popular tourist destination to increase tax rates for temporary accommodation.
Starting March 1, Kyoto is set to implement <a href="https://dailyhive.com/canada/canadians-hotel-tax-kyoto" target="_blank">Japan&#8217;s highest-ever accommodation tax</a>.
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Travellers from Canada planning to explore one of the most renowned cities in Spain will have to budget extra for their next trip.