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New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Tourist magnet Barcelona to cut cruise ship capacity
Barcelona on Thursday unveiled a plan to reduce the number of cruise passengers arriving at its port, part of a wider trend to combat overtourism in Europe's most popular destinations. The city and the port authority signed an agreement to reduce the number of cruise ship terminals from seven to five by 2030, cutting traveller capacity from 37,000 to 31,000. Spain's second-largest city hosts one of the world's busiest ports for cruise traffic, having received 3.65 million such passengers in 2024, according to Barcelona's Tourism Observatory. Cruise passenger numbers grew by 20 per cent between 2018 and 2024, Barcelona's Socialist mayor Jaume Collboni said in a statement. "For the first time in history, limits are being set on the growth of cruise ships in the city," Collboni added. The demolition of three existing cruise terminals and the construction of a new one will cost €185 million, adding to previous investments since the first protocol was signed in 2018. Tourism has helped drive the dynamic Spanish economy, making it the world's second most-visited country with a record 94 million foreign visitors last year. But the boom has fuelled anger about unaffordable housing and concern that mass visitor numbers are changing the fabric of neighbourhoods, sparking protests in tourism hotspots. With its Mediterranean beaches and world-famous cultural landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia basilica, Barcelona is on the front line of mass tourism, receiving millions of visitors every year. It announced last year a plan to scrap around 10,000 tourist rental apartments by 2028 in an attempt to ease local discontent. Elsewhere in Europe, the popular Italian city of Venice introduced a charge for day visitors last year, while Greece is implementing a tax on cruise ships docking at its islands.
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Cruise ship blow as Spain tears down three terminals amid tourism row
The Port of Barcelona currently has nine terminals, seven of which are cruise ship terminals - but the three oldest are set to be demolished amid pressure from locals Three cruise ship terminals are to be ripped down in Barcelona following mounting pressure from locals. Officials in the beloved Spanish destination have decided to scale back the port's cruise ship capacity after years of campaigners arguing that boatloads of passengers are adding unbearable strain to the city. Barcelona's port currently boasts nine terminals, with seven dedicated to cruise ships. Catalonian governing authorities have now chosen to act, with proposals to demolish the three most dated terminals (A, B, and C). A cutting-edge terminal will be constructed at Terminal C's existing site, due to launch by the decade's close. The replacement facility will accommodate approximately 7,000 passengers simultaneously. Nevertheless, the port's overall daily capacity will fall from roughly 37,000 to 31,000 under the €185m (£160m) scheme, according to EuroWeekly News. The revelation comes after this week's agreement between the port authority and the city council. Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni declared: "For the first time in history, limits are being placed on the growth of cruise ships in the city." Officials anticipate the measure will also improve public access to the port facilities. The city is also reportedly investing €50 million in constructing fresh amenities where terminals A and B currently stand." According to EU Today, under the new strategy, cruise lines that begin and conclude their journeys in the city will receive preference over those making brief stopovers. The aim is to alleviate overcrowding in particularly affected areas of Barcelona and encourage tourists to extend their stay, thereby boosting per capita spending within the city's economy. Official figures reveal that the travel hotspot experienced a 21% increase in cruise ship visits and a 20% rise in passengers to 1.2 million people from January to May this year, compared to the same period last year. Residents have long expressed concerns about the impact of cruises on both the city and its environment. Responsible Travel recently explained why Barcelona, in particular, has suffered from cruise ship tourism. READ MORE: Husband and wife have been on holiday to same seaside town every year since 1970 "Barcelona has the Mediterranean's largest port, for example, which makes it a prime spot for huge cruise ships. In 1990, just 115,000 cruise passengers arrived in Barcelona. By 2017, that figure stood at 2.7 million, arriving into one of nine cruise terminals. The city was the home port for Allure of the Seas in 2015, at the time the world's largest cruise ship with a maximum capacity of just under 6,500 passengers. And in 2019, Barcelona (along with Palma) earned the unwanted title of most polluted port in Europe," the publication wrote. "Overtourism is not just about too many people, however. When it comes to Barcelona, the issue is that they are all arriving at once. Of the 32 million annual visitors, around half are day trippers; this will include most of the cruise passengers. Spending just a few hours in the city, visitors have a limited radius and will tick off the same few places: La Rambla, the Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, La Boqueria market." In his 2016 paper on Managing Tourism in Barcelona, Dr Harold Goodwin described the arrival of cruise ship passengers as feeling like 'a tidal wave.' Last month, there was another tranche of anti-overtourism protests in Barcelona, with demonstrators continuing to organise marches against what they perceive as excessive numbers of foreign visitors. They argue this is having an unsustainable effect on living costs and housing. In response to these concerns, authorities have introduced various measures, including plans to prohibit short-term apartment rentals to tourists by the end of 2028.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Barcelona to shut cruise ports to bring down tourism
Barcelona will close two of its seven cruise terminals as it steps up efforts to control visitor numbers following a local backlash against tourism. Under the €185m (£160m) plan agreed between the Spanish city and port authorities, two terminals are to be demolished and a third rebuilt for public use. That will slash the number of passengers the port can handle at any one time by 6,000 to 31,000 by the end of the decade. Following the reduction in capacity, priority will be given to ships departing from Barcelona, usually staffed by locals, rather than those just visiting in order to maximise benefits for the economy. Jaume Collboni, Barcelona's Left-wing mayor, said the deal was struck after the port showed 'understanding and empathy' in accepting that the expansion of cruise activity could not carry on unchecked and had to be reduced. He said: 'For the first time in its history, a limit is being placed on the growth of cruise ships in the city. The current management of tourism involves establishing limits.' It comes after protesters took to Barcelona's streets last month as part of the biggest anti-tourism rally in its history. It was the culmination of months of anger at overcrowding and high prices in the city. Protesters last year sprayed visitors with water pistols to highlight what they saw as the swarming of the city. Cruise vessels are reviled in some tourist hotspots for flooding streets with visitors who spend little before returning to their ship. While moves to ban them have become commonplace, Barcelona is going a step further by shrinking its port infrastructure to keep them away. The number of ships visiting Europe's busiest cruise port has surged over the past six years and jumped by a fifth between January and May, bringing in 1.2m people. Under the latest plans, a 2,000ft length of quayside will be renovated, while the bridge to the cruise terminals will be doubled to provide space for cyclists and pedestrians. Hookups to the power grid will also be provided so that ships do not have to use their diesel engines in port. José Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona, said the agreement would permit the 'sustainable development of cruise activity'. He said that while smaller, the resulting facilities will be amongst the most modern in the world and better able to act as a base for cruise ships, boosting local employment. Barcelona, which has a population of 1.7m, or 5m across its metropolitan area, attracted 3.7m cruise-ship passengers last year. Miami, the busiest cruise port in the world, handled a record 8.2m. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
19-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Barcelona to shut cruise ports to tackle overtourism
Barcelona will close two of its seven cruise terminals as it steps up efforts to control visitor numbers following a local backlash against tourism. Under the €185m (£160m) plan agreed between the Spanish city and port authorities, two terminals are to be demolished and a third rebuilt for public use. This will slash the number of passengers the port can handle at any one time by 6,000 to 31,000 by the end of the decade. Following the reduction in capacity, priority will be given to ships departing from Barcelona, usually staffed by locals, rather than those just visiting in order to maximise benefits for the economy. Jaume Collboni, Barcelona's Left-wing mayor, said the deal was struck after the port showed 'understanding and empathy' in accepting that the expansion of cruise activity could not carry on unchecked and had to be reduced. He said: 'For the first time in its history, a limit is being placed on the growth of cruise ships in the city. The current management of tourism involves establishing limits.' It comes after protesters took to Barcelona's streets last month as part of the biggest anti-tourism rally in its history. It was the culmination of months of anger at overcrowding and high prices in the city. Protesters last year sprayed visitors with water pistols to highlight what they saw as the swarming of the city. Cruise vessels are reviled in some tourist hotspots for flooding streets with visitors who spend little before returning to their ship. While moves to ban them have become commonplace, Barcelona is going a step further by shrinking its port infrastructure to keep them away. The number of ships visiting Europe's busiest cruise port has surged over the past six years and jumped by a fifth between January and May, bringing in 1.2m people. Under the latest plans, a 2,000ft length of quayside will be renovated, while the bridge to the cruise terminals will be doubled to provide space for cyclists and pedestrians. Hookups to the power grid will also be provided so that ships do not have to use their diesel engines in port. José Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona, said the agreement would permit the 'sustainable development of cruise activity'. He said that while smaller, the resulting facilities will be amongst the most modern in the world and better able to act as a base for cruise ships, boosting local employment. Barcelona, which has a population of 1.7m, or 5m across its metropolitan area, attracted 3.7m cruise-ship passengers last year. Miami, the busiest cruise port in the world, handled a record 8.2m.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Europe's busiest cruise port Barcelona to scale back capacity
Barcelona will cut cruise ship terminals from seven to five to control rising tourist numbers, following a 21% surge in cruise arrivals and a 20% jump in passengers in early 2025. The city aims to reduce overcrowding and pollution by consolidating terminals, prioritizing home-port cruises, and enabling ships to connect to the local power grid to cut emissions. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Barcelona is set to reduce the number of port terminals for cruise ships in the city's latest attempt to limit the number of tourist visits, as per a Reuters third-largest port will cut the number of terminals used by cruises to five from seven, with the aim of making the arrival of the ships 'more controlled and sustainable,' Barcelona's city council said in a statement Thursday.'For the first time ever, limits are being placed on cruise growth in the city,' Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni said in the statement. Barcelona recorded a 21% increase in cruise ship calls and a 20% rise in passengers to 1.2 million people in January-May this year from the same period in 2024, as per official data. That was a sharp acceleration following a 20% increase in passenger numbers from 2018 to have been protests against tourism and debates about overcrowding in the Spanish left-wing mayor told Reuters last year he was seeking a new deal with port authorities to reduce the number of one-day cruise calls, in an effort to avoid overcrowding at cultural landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia the new plan, three terminals will be combined into one. The port will prioritize cruise ships that use Barcelona as their home port for departures and arrivals and encourage tourists to stay longer and spend more in the port said the refurbishment would facilitate connecting ships to the local electricity grid, reducing Union regulations require maritime ports to have onshore power supply infrastructure in place by 2030 to cut carbon emissions. However, a recent study found that most ports across Europe are falling behind in meeting this target.
