Barcelona (Spain): Since early July this year, Barcelona has seen protests against excessive tourism. Protesters took to the streets, chanted, “Tourists go home,” and sprayed visitors with water pistols. The protesters were dissatisfied with the shortage of affordable housing caused by the surge in holiday rentals, which favour tourists over residents.
The growing impact of mass tourism on locals has provoked heated debate in Barcelona, one of Europe’s most popular vacation spots.
Over 1.2 million tourists visited Barcelona in July, a 7.5% rise from the same month last year. According to Xinhua news agency, the city is on course to break its previous record of 19.3 million visitors in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, as tourism grows, so do local worries. According to a recent public opinion study by the city council, 13% of locals now consider tourism to be the most pressing issue in Barcelona, more than double the percentage from the previous year (5.9%).
The 2023 Perception of Tourism report, which questioned almost 1,900 inhabitants, discovered that 23% believe tourism harms the city, the highest number ever reported.
“There are too many tourists, and sometimes it’s hard to move or walk down certain streets,” said resident Palmira Moncunill, adding that something needs to be done. While acknowledging tourism’s economic benefits, she questioned the city council’s emphasis on attracting “quality over quantity.”
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This year, Barcelona featured high-profile events such as the Formula One Grand Prix and the continuing America’s Cup, which drew visitors with more spending power. However, some locals have criticised these gatherings.
“The authorities talk about managing tourism, but we need to reduce its scale and decrease the city’s economic reliance on an industry that is both harmful and volatile,” said Dani Pardo, a member of the Assembly of Neighborhoods for the Reduction of Tourism.
Over 3,000 people marched through Barcelona’s streets in early July, chanting, “Enough, let’s put limits on tourism.” The event was organised by 140 community, social, and environmental groups.
Pardo attributes the increasing criticism to “better communication between local communities” and the fact that “tourism is now affecting everyone.” He also criticised the authorities for making promises without meaningful action, claiming their goal is to “silence opposition, not reduce tourism’s impact.”
In response to these concerns, the city council announced new measures in July, including raising the tourist tax to four euros per night and pledging to revoke 10,000 tourist apartment licenses by 2029. However, local organisations say these measures are not enough and are pushing for more radical actions, such as reducing airport capacity, closing cruise ship terminals, and banning the expansion of tourist accommodation.
“There’s a debate in Barcelona, as in most European cities, about the limits of tourism. We must manage tourism without increasing the limits, and we’re interested in attracting more Asian visitors. But Barcelona cannot become solely a tourist city,” said Jordi Valls, the city’s Deputy Mayor for Economic Promotion and Tourism.
The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce reports that tourism contributes 14.5 percent of the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) and supports 155,000 jobs. The America’s Cup alone, according to the Barcelona Capital Nautica Foundation, is expected to generate 1.2 billion euros ($1.33 billion) by the time it concludes in October.
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–IANS
