Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain is the ultimate destination of the iconic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. However, the city’s mayor has had enough of “uncontrolled tourism” and wants to cut down on the hordes of tourists visiting the city. To do so, the city hopes to introduce a tourist tax in an effort to introduce more sustainable travel.

Overtourism in Santiago de Compostela, Spain

The historic city of Santiago de Compostela is the destination of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, also known as The Way of St. James. Reportedly, the Galician city welcomed almost 440,000 “pilgrims” in 2022. Meanwhile, the previous average number of visitors is more than 300,000.

Pilgrims take a huge range of pilgrimage routes, starting in Spain, Portugal and France. The ultimate goal is the city’s 9th-century cathedral. The Romanesque cathedral is believed by Christians to be the burial place of Saint James the Great, one of the apostles of Jesus.

Last month, Goretti Sanmartín of the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) was sworn in as the city’s first female mayor. Soon after, she announced plans to promote sustainable tourism in the city and to make Santiago de Compostela a better place for locals to live.

How much will the tourist tax be?

It was Santiago’s former mayor Xosé Sánchez Bugallo who first put forward the idea of a tourist tax to hoteliers in April. It was proposed that a regional tax could be introduced in 2025. This would be charged as a nightly fee by the hotels and is likely to cost somewhere between €0.50 and €2.50, depending on the type of accommodation.

Officials believe that the tax could raise somewhere between €2.5 and €3 million per year for the city, which would be used to maintain the city’s historic center.

Mayor Sanmartín brought up the idea again in her investiture speech as she laid out plans for “conscious tourism” in Santiago de Compostela.

“I want Santiago de Compostela to stop being just a tourist destination and a theme park,” the mayor said according to Europa Press, adding:

I want a Santiago from which there is no need to flee due to uncontrolled tourism. We aspire to… enjoy a rich and prosperous tourism sector but also a comfortable and breathable city.

Moreover, she said that securing housing for local residents would also be a priority.

Meanwhile, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is free to enter. However, to gain full access to the museums, tower and cloister, visitors pay a €12 ($13.50) fee.

Other destinations charging tourist taxes

The idea of charging tourist taxes isn’t new in Spain. In fact, Barcelona introduced a tourist tax in 2012 which has gradually increased. Moreover, Valencia is planning to charge a tourist tax of between €0.50 and €2 as a sustainable tourism measure.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera) also charge a tourist tax. This is on a scale and can reach up to €4 per night in the busy summer season.