Just stay away: Barcelona to reduce cruise arrivals

Barcelona, the busiest cruise port in Europe, is moving to reduce cruising's impact on the city's over-stretched infrastructure.

The Spanish city is to reduce its cruise terminal capacity by the end of the decade as part of a broader push to rein in surging tourist arrivals.

News hub Travel Mole reports a new agreement between Barcelona City Hall and the Port Authority will see the number of cruise terminals cut from seven to five by 2030.

This move will lower the port’s maximum capacity for simultaneous cruise passengers from 37,000 to 31,000.

“This is the first time in history that limits are being placed on the growth of cruise ships in the city,” said Mayor Jaume Collboni.

The mayor, who has been vocal about addressing over-tourism, previously said he aimed to reduce the number of one-day cruise visits, which often lead to overcrowding at popular sites such as the Sagrada Familia.

The decision comes amid a surge in cruise activity.

Between January and May 2025, cruise ship calls to Barcelona increased by 21%, while passenger arrivals rose by 20% to 1.2 million, compared to the same period in 2024.

These figures marked an acceleration from the 20% overall growth in cruise passengers recorded between 2018 and 2024.

Barcelona has faced increasing push-back from residents over the impacts of mass tourism, including housing pressure, environmental degradation, and congestion at cultural landmarks.

Protests have become more frequent in recent years, highlighting growing frustration with the volume of short-term visitors.

Barcelona began pushing cruise operations away from the city center in 2018, culminating in the closure of the North Terminal at the base of Las Ramblas by 2023.

The port redevelopment plan - already underway - includes the demolition of older terminals and the construction of a new, more sustainable Terminal C, with shore power and expanded capacity for 7,000 passengers.

The overhaul also includes improved shuttle transport, digital crowd-monitoring systems, and a €90 million expansion of the Porta d’Europa bridge to better connect the port to the city. Completion is due in 2027.

Once complete, four of the five terminals will be privately operated by major cruise lines : Terminals D and E by Carnival Corp., Terminal H by MSC Cruises, and the under-construction Terminal G by Royal Caribbean Group. Terminal C will remain publicly owned.

Demolition of the current Terminal C is expected by the end of 2026, with the new terminal slated to open in 2028 and reach full operational capacity by 2030.

Security guards employed to keep unruly tourists in line

Not everyone in Japan is delighted by the current tourism boom.

On a recent visit to Kanazawa I saw several restaurants with signs saying they would not serve anyone who didn't speak Japanese.

Several shops displayed blatantly racist signs warning foreigners they were not welcome (image above). 

   
And now a small town in Japan has taken drastic measures and hired a team of security guards to manage badly behaved tourists, news portal Travel Mole reported.

Otaru, a small port town on Hokkaido island has been inundated by crowds of tourists with some of them being a nuisance to locals.

The visitors have been blocking roads and pavements to scramble for photos at Instagram hotspot Funami-zaka, a steep street offering scenic views of the port and ocean.

It was a location for the 1995 Japanese film Love Letter and the 2015 Chinese movie Cities in Love, which have sparked interest in the town.

A Chinese woman was recently killed by a train in the town while reportedly distracted by taking photos.

Local residents have complained about large crowds of tourists blocking roads and some trespassing on private property to get a better vantage point to take photos.

“The road is lined with houses and has heavy traffic," a city official told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

"Tourists standing on the street or walking side by side often make it impossible for vehicles to pass. The impact on residents has been significant.”

A record 36.7 million people visited Japan last year.

Several areas have taken action against over-tourism issues in Kyoto, Fujikawaguchiko near Mount Fujim and the spa town of Ginzan Onsen.

Images: Winsor Dobbin and Hokkaido Tourism 

Busy Kyoto plans to hoist tourism tax

Kyoto is one of the Japanese cities overwhelmed by tourists: much like Venice in Italy.

The ancient city, the former capital, plans to hike hotel tax rates in a bid to reduce the number of visitors it receives.

From next year guests at hotels and other accommodations could pay as much as 10,000 yen (just over $100 Aus) per person per night, news portal Travel Mole reports.

Kyoto city implemented a tax five years ago and it is charged on a sliding scale based on the nightly room rates.

Currently, guests pay 200 yen per night for a room costing less than 20,000 yen; 500 yen for one priced up to 49,999 yen; and 1,000 yen for a stay of 50,000 yen or more.

Kyoto city officials are planning to implement the new hotel tax rates - which will then be based on five pricing tiers - in 2026.

Guests will pay 200 yen per night for a stay costing less 6,000 yen up to a maximum of 10,000 yen for accommodation costing 100,000 yen or more.

The city’s government expects the new fees to double revenue to tackle over-tourism issues.

Kyoto is a small city, but is one of the top tourist destinations in Japan. It has multi-lingual signage to aid visitors to navigate around the main points of interest.

Kyoto’s proposed 10,000 yen tax would be the highest flat-rate hotel tax in the country.

Dear tourists: Please go away we don't want you here

First Venice took action against over-sized cruise ships, now Amsterdam is cracking down.

The Dutch city plans to start cutting the number of ships that can stop at its main port terminal over the coming years, its municipal government has said.

Starting from 2026, the number of sea cruise vessels that can stop at the Passengers Terminal Amsterdam will be set at 100 per annum, down from 190 today.

Within a decade, cruise ships will not be allowed to stop at the main terminal, and by 2035 the main terminal for cruise stops will be outside the city, travel news portal Skift reports.

All cruise ships will be required to use shore power by 2027.

This means ships will have to get their electrical power from the shore while docked at the port, cutting the use of onboard diesel engines - a contributor to carbon emissions.

“By limiting sea cruises, requiring shore power, and aiming for the cruise terminal to move from its current location in 2035, the council is responsibly implementing the proposal to stop sea cruises,” said Hester van Buren, an alderman for the municipal government.

Both Venice and Amsterdam have concerns about over-tourism and its impact on the environment.

In Venice, the government has limited the number of cruise ships at its industrial port and is building a smaller terminal outside the city centre.

The cruise cap is the latest policy by Amsterdam to combat over-tourism.

In April, the city banned the construction of new hotels. And earlier this year, it launched a new campaign to discourage nuisance party tourists from visiting the city’s red light district.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Barcelona, Mayor Jaume Collboni, revealed this month that his city plans to ban short-term vacation rentals by 2028.

That plan is in response to rising tourist numbers and ever-increasing rents for locals with a large portion of housing stock having been turned into accommodation for visitors.