Urgent - New tourist tax!

I've just had a press release regarding a new Catalonia Tourist Tax that may affect anyone flying into Barcelona, (or the rest of Spain), from the 01st November forward.
Full details below................
A new tourist tax is being introduced in the Catalonia region of Spain from 1 November 2012.  This must be paid locally by clients directly to the hotels.
This mandatory fee will be applied to all accommodation types: hotels from 1* to 5*, apartments, campsites and rural tourism establishments.
The following fee will be applied depending on the type of facility and location

Barcelona City
5* - €2.50
4* - €1.25
1*-3* - €0.75

Rest of Catalonia
5* - €2.50
4* - €1
1*-3* - €0.50

The fee is per person per night and applied to a maximum of 7 nights.  Children under 16 years of age are exempt.
I'll be honest, this tax has annoyed me a little. It's not like the money is a lot. As most people only use Barcelona as a turnaround port or as a weekend city break it will probably only end up costing them a Euro or two.
What's annoying is the way it's just been sprung on people with no warning.
Oh well, I supose it'll only add up to a Euro or two per person, just remember to have some change with you when you're checking in!


Happy cruising