A new tourist tax is set to be introduced in a popular Spanish cruise destination, Vigo.
Visitors to the bustling port city will soon be expected to pay a daily levy depending on their accommodation, as local officials finalise plans to introduce a tourist tax.
According to Spanish reports, the proposed charges could reach up to €2 (£1.74) per person per night for guests staying in high-end four-star and five-star hotels.
Mid-range accommodation, including tourist rentals and three to four-star hotels, may face a €1.60 (£1.39) nightly fee, while low cost options such as hostels, campsites and rural properties could be charged €0.80 (£0.69).
Those staying in guesthouses and one to two-star hotels are expected to pay around €1.20 (£1.04).
Vigo’s mayor, Abel Caballero, confirmed that a €1.20 (£1.04) charge will also apply to cruise passengers disembarking at the port.
The tax is expected to be introduced gradually from October, just two months from the city’s famous festive light switch-on.
Initially, it will apply only to the first two nights of a stay until July 1, 2027, after which it will extend to a maximum of five nights.
Vigo, a bustling port city in north-west Spain, is set to introduce a ‘daily’ tourist tax
The city serves as the main gateway to the Cíes Islands, famous for its white sand beaches and turqouise waters
Exemptions are being considered for children, certain disabled individuals and visitors travelling for health reasons, as reported by the Mirror.
The move is aimed at reallocating tourism revenue while reducing pressure on the environment due to rising visitor numbers.
This week alone, Vigo is hosting three cruise ships simultaneously, welcoming more than 7,500 visitors from the MS Britannia, the MS Ventura and Le Bellot within hours.
While the proposal still requires final approval, plans indicate Vigo is likely to follow other cities across Galicia that have implemented similar measures.
In late 2025, both Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña introduced tourist levies, which drew criticism from the hospitality sector.
Home to around 295,000 residents, Vigo is known for its numerous beaches and serves as the main gateway to the Cíes Islands.
The islands are famous for its unspoiled white sand beaches and turquoise waters, including Rodas Beach, famously crowned the ‘best beach in the world’ by The Guardian in 2007.
Vigo has also built a reputation for its spectacular Christmas displays, with more than 11 million LED lights illuminating the city last year, drawing thousands of cruise passengers to its harbour.
Vigo is a 45-minute ferry from Rodas Beach, famously crowned the ‘best beach in the world’ by The Guardian in 2007
Vigo is a bustling cruise port, with thousands of visitors visiting the city at any one time
Tourist tax is not a new concept – but recent overtourism has led to a surge in measures to help reduce the volume of people headed to holiday hotspots, to support local housing pressures and promote sustainable tourism.
New countries have been introducing the measures for 2026 and existing countries are often increasing the costs – in some cases per person, per night.
For example, tourists heading to check out the vibrant nightlife, colourful architecture and culture of Amsterdam are expected to pay 12.5 per cent extra on top of the cost of their hotel room.
Called ‘Toeristenbelasting’, it’s one of the highest visitor fees in Europe, and was increased from seven per cent, plus €3 (£2.60) per person, in 2024.
Meanwhile, Bali has charged international tourists IDR 150,000 (£6.80) since February 2024.
The fee applies per person, rather than per person per night, and can be paid on or before arrival at the airport.
And tourists visiting Barcelona face nightly fees of up to €15 (£13) following a significant increase in the local tourist tax.
Under new regulations, the regional parliament of Catalonia has doubled the tax for holiday rental guests to a maximum of €12.50 (£10.90) per night, up from €6.25 (£5.45).
The rise comes ahead of a previously announced plan to ban all short‑term rental accommodation by 2028.
Hotel guests will soon be required to pay between €10 (£8.75) and €15 (£13) per night, up from €5 (£4.35) and €7.50 (£6.55), depending on the category, with the likelihood that guests will pay more at four and five-star hotels.
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