It seemed impossible, but Barcelona has taken an unprecedented step in the management of cruise tourism and will finally reduce the number of cruise ships arriving each year in the city.
In a historic agreement, the City Council and the Port of Barcelona have signed an agreement to reduce the number of cruise terminals from seven to five, in line with the pact between the PSC and Barcelona en Comú. The goal: to curb the growth of cruise passengers, improve port mobility and prioritize sustainability.
The terminals that will disappear
The plan calls for the demolition of terminals A, B and C of the Adossat Pier by the end of 2026, which will be replaced by a new public terminal with capacity for 7,000 simultaneous passengers. This facility – also called C – will prioritize homeport cruises and smaller ships, and will meet the same quality and sustainability standards as the four private terminals that will remain operational (D, E, G and H).
“For the first time in history, a limit is placed on the growth of cruise ships in Barcelona,” said Mayor Jaume Collboni. For his part, the Port’s president, José Alberto Carbonell, stressed that the new model responds to growing public concern about mass tourism: “We must focus on quality rather than quantity”.
How many fewer tourists will come to the city?
The president of the Port, José Alberto Carbonell, has stressed that the new model responds to the growing public concern about mass tourism: “We must focus on quality rather than quantity”.
According to municipal estimates, when the new terminal is fully operational in 2030, the port’s total capacity will drop from 37,000 to 31,000 simultaneous passengers, a reduction of 16%.
The agreement also provides for improvements to the port’s infrastructure and connectivity. In 2027, construction will begin on a second bridge at the Adossat dock, which will be added to the existing one and will be ready in 2030. It will have a wide sidewalk for pedestrians and a bike path, and will have an expected investment of 90 million euros. All in all, the total public-private investment in the project will amount to 185 million euros.
In addition, a new urban corridor will be built between Plaza de las Drassanes and the Marina del Prat Vermell neighborhood, designed for public transport, bicycles and pedestrians, and access from the Litoral ring road will be improved to prevent cruise passengers from having to cross the city center on their way south or to the airport.