Tourist tax hikes hit Japan, Catalonia and other hotspots

By Andy Wang
Adobe Stock
Tokyo, Barcelona, Venice and Norway weigh steeper tourist taxes, meaning higher costs and new regulations for travelers who plan to visit these hotspots.

TOKYO — If you are dreaming of cherry-blossom season in Tokyo, Gaudí architecture in Barcelona or a summer cruise along Norway’s fjords, be prepared to earmark a larger slice of your travel budget for local taxes and fees.

Barcelona visitors urged to brace for anti-tourism protests

By Bob Vidra
Touist go home
Barcelona, Spain travelers should expect sporadic protests over mass tourism and late-summer downpours—here’s what visitors need to know now. Barcelona, Spain — Visitors arriving in Catalonia’s capital this season are being greeted by two very different kinds of splash: brief but intense rain showers and a rising tide of anti-tourism demonstrations.

Barcelona orders Airbnb to delist illegal rentals in 48hrs

By Bob Vidra
Adobe Stock

Barcelona orders Airbnb to delist illegal rentals: What’s happening?

The Catalan capital has told Airbnb to wipe unlawful holiday flats from its site in just 48 hours. City Hall delivered a new draft agreement this week that demands “rigorous” screening of listings and grants municipal staff unfettered access to data so they can verify permits and ownership details.

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