by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:50 PM ET, Fri July 18, 2025
As part of an effort to curb overtourism, the port of
Barcelona in Spain announced plans to limit the number of cruise passengers
that can pass through the terminal.
According to Reuters.com,
Barcelona’s city hall and port authority announced on Thursday they had reached
an agreement to reduce the number of cruise terminals from seven to five by 2030.
“For the first time in history, limits are being placed on
the growth of cruise ships in the city,” Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni told
Reuters.
City officials revealed that Barcelona saw a 21 percent increase
in cruise ship arrivals and a 20 percent rise in passenger arrivals to 1.2
million through the first five months of 2025. The new deal would reduce the port's
capacity from 37,000 to 31,000.
Data showed that passenger totals grew 20 percent between
2018 and 2024.
After saying last year that the Spanish city would work to “reduce
the number of one-day cruise calls,” Mayor Collboni revealed that the new deal
calls for three terminals to be combined into one.
Port Authority officials said cruise ships homeporting in Barcelona
would be prioritized as part of an effort to reduce emissions and encourage tourists
to “stay longer and spend more in the city.”
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