Barcelona using tourist tax to help tackle effects of climate change
Barcelona is attempting to convert a negative into a positive by allocating a portion of the funds collected from the city’s visitor tax
One of the most visited cities in Europe is Barcelona, and many of its 1.6 million inhabitants blame tourism for an increasing number of issues, such as a lack of available housing, rising costs, and shifting neighborhoods.
“The urban fabric is completely destroyed,” reported Fernando, a resident of Barcelona, to CBS News. Because of its eateries and bars, the neighborhood where he lives is well-liked by tourists.
“This neighborhood in particular—I’ve lived here for more than 20 years—is gradually becoming soulless. He stated, “I would estimate that half of the buildings are here purely for short-term use, such as rentals.”
But Barcelona is among a number of southern European cities facing another problem: the increasingly extreme effects of climate change. In recent years, it has become dryer and warmer, and there have been intense and dangerous heat waves and draughts.
The rising temperatures have become a problem for city infrastructure like public schools, many of which do not have air conditioning, as the extreme heat of summer extends into the school year.
Mia, an 11-year-old pupil at a public school in Barcelona, told CBS News that she finds it difficult to focus in hot weather.
She remarked, “It’s very hard,”
Her fellow student Theo concurred.
“Sometimes when you’re like, in the class, and you just came out playing football, it’s very hot,” said Theo.
However, once a system was put in place over the summer, Mia and Theo can now enjoy air conditioning in their school for the first time. Money collected from Barcelona’s tourist tax, a nominal cost assessed to tourists, was used to fund it.
The deputy mayor of Barcelona, told CBS News that the tourist tax is what visitors to our city pay
The possibility of using these revenues, the tourism tax, for such a project is very important so that we can accept tourism in our city and the role that tourism has.”
Over the course of six years, Barcelona’s City Hall plans to install solar panels and energy-efficient heat pumps in all 170 of the city’s public schools. By replacing outdated, gas-powered heating systems, the goal is to provide air conditioning while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions. It claims that all of the approximately $100 million it is investing in the project comes from the tourist tax.
According to Bonet, “I think it’s the best way to link tourism to… the necessary fight against climate change,” and the program’s funding from the tourist tax is “a very important help.”
Bonet asserted, “It makes the difference,”
However, anti-tourism campaigner Agnes Rodriguez claims the city is missing the mark by using tourist-generated revenue.
“It’s public health, and the government should be doing this without relying on tourism,” Rodriguez told CBS News.
You are a part of this city’s transformation if you are traveling to Barcelona tonight, Chicago, or New York.
According to Rodriguez, Barcelona’s fight against climate change should be led by its citizens, not visitors.
“A theme park is not what we are. Disney World is not us. Therefore, we wish to continue being a city and having the ability to live here,” she stated.
Compiled by,
World Travel News, Gorilla Trekking Uganda and Gorilla Trekking Rwanda
