The tourist tax is expanding. Photo: Shutterstock Not just Barcelona. As of October 1, 2026, seven additional municipalities in Catalonia began charging a municipal surcharge on tourist tax for overnight stays in hotels and accommodation facilities.
The municipalities that entered the mechanism are Castelldefels, Esplugues de Llobregat, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès and Sant Just Desvern.
This local surcharge is added to the existing Catalan tourist tax, so guests at some hotels will now pay more per night.
The levy amount varies by accommodation type and local authority.
In some municipalities, 5-star hotels charge up to 4 euros per person per night. In 4-star hotels, the surcharge is lower, and in other accommodation categories, different amounts are charged.
The municipal surcharge does not replace Catalonia's tourism tax; it adds to it.
One important point for tourists is that the change is not limited to central Barcelona.
El Prat de Llobregat, home to Barcelona-El Prat Airport, is included in the list of new municipalities. Castelldefels, a popular area for accommodation near the airport and the beach, is also joining the mechanism.
Therefore, even those who choose to sleep outside Barcelona's center, sometimes to save costs or stay close to the airport, may now pay a new tax surcharge.
In recent years, Catalonia has turned the tourist tax into a key tool for managing tourism burdens and boosting local authority revenue.
The extension of the levy to seven additional municipalities points to a broader trend: the costs associated with accommodation in the Barcelona area are no longer concentrated just within the city itself.