They shot at tourists to show their anger. Nothing serious, because they only have water guns, but the protest against mass tourism in Barcelona is only the latest demonstration to highlight how the problem of overtourism (overtourism) in Spain is perceived as unsustainable by a growing part of the population. This time, thousands of people took to the streets (2,800 according to the city authorities, around 20,000 according to the organization). The economic model, which benefits from the presence of millions of visitors a year, is driving citizens into anger, who pay much more for the few houses that are not yet used as tourist accommodation.
Tourists besieged in bars and restaurants
The peaceful march filled the streets of the Catalan capital with slogans such as “Leave, Barcelona is not for sale!” and “Tourists, go home!”. The anger of the residents sitting in bars and restaurants in the most crowded areas was met with the price of some tourists being sprayed with water cannons by the demonstrators. Barcelona has been suffering from a state of tourism stress for years, affecting not only the centre but also various parts of the city. The event started from La Rambla, an emblematic street that has become the most visible symbol of mass tourism since the late 1990s. As he said, the end of the march El PaisInstead, there is the seaside district of Barceloneta, where protesters find themselves among thousands of tourists taking photos of banners with messages such as “Tourism kills the city.”
In Barcelona, tourism has become one of the city’s main economic arteries, with visitor numbers growing exponentially, reaching a record figure of 17.3 million people sleeping in the city in 2019 and another 10.5 million who stayed out.
Problems of mass tourism
In recent years, the tourism industry has revolutionised the Catalan city’s image and landscape, both urban and human. Housing prices have risen by 68% in the last decade, with an increase of 18% in the last year alone. Artisanal and traditional businesses have been replaced by souvenir shops, and bars and restaurants prefer to host visitors rather than locals, because the former spend more and fill the venues with a constant flow.
They call it gentrification. Simply put, it’s a profound transformation that prevents residents from enjoying the city where they were born and chose to live. A few weeks ago, the city government decided to phase out short-term rentals by 2028. The initiative aims to make many apartments available for use on the housing market again. But residents believe this measure is not enough, while Spanish unions believe it’s too late.
Demonstrations on the islands
The pandemic had stopped this phenomenon and put it on hold. It was then that citizens understood what it meant to enjoy a walk without tourists on the Rambla, in the Gothic Quarter or in the Gothic Quarter (Gràcia), like other cities visited by many, such as Rome, Venice or Paris, with its emblematic Art Nouveau buildings designed by Antoni Gaudí. This is not the first protest of this kind in Spain. While the streets of Palma de Mallorca and Malaga were already full in May and June, the first demonstrations took place in the Canary Islands last fall. In Palma de Mallorca, with a population of around 433 thousand, around 10 thousand people demonstrated on May 25. In Malaga (with a population of 531 thousand) there were around 15 thousand demonstrators on June 29.
Barcelona bans AirBnb: What if tourism is not our oil?
But the Canary Islands, where the flow of tourists never stops thanks to their mild climate throughout the year, were the pioneers. On April 20, there was a peak of 57,000 demonstrators in the archipelago, which has a population of over 2 million. For the organisations calling for these protests, the issue is not just about reducing participation, but also about designing different tourism models that offer more suitable offers for the regions and the specifics of the places. The many English or Irish pubs, much appreciated by Anglo-Saxon visitors, are less so by the locals.
Measures to curb tourism in Barcelona
There were moments of tension in Barcelona as protesters’ disturbances surprised tourists. The Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police) accompanied the demonstration to avoid clashes. The organisers of the Catalan event said: Including the Barris Assembly for Decreixement Turístic, At the microphone in Plaza del Mar, they called for the reduction of the number of flights at the airport, the closure of the cruise terminals in the port and the elimination of tourist accommodation, especially in homes. The so-called “Airbnb effect” is causing a shortage of available accommodation. In response to the protests, the city council recalled that tourism activities contribute 14% to the city’s GDP and create about 150 thousand jobs.
Mayor Jaume Collboni, elected in 2023, supports major events such as the Louis Vuitton podium in Parc Guell or a Formula 1 event in Paseo. On the other hand, he announced measures to curb tourism. In addition to the abolition of short-term rentals, the tourist tax was increased to 7.50 euros per person. He also announced a study to reduce travel. Since these are long-term measures, the citizen cannot perceive their impact on a daily basis. For those who want to visit Barcelona these days, it is best to plan something waterproof despite the scorching sun.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
