Around 3,000 people protested against mass tourism in Barcelona on Saturday, 6 July 2024 according to local authorities.
Over 150 groups joined the demonstration, shouting “tourists, go
home” with some groups blocking hotels and restaurant terraces. Videos
of protestors spraying water guns at tourists dining al fresco are also
circulating on social media.
Barcelona, Spain's most visited city, receives about 32 million
visitors annually. The city has been grappling with overtourism, leading
to recent measures by the local government.
Martí Cusó, spokesperson for the Association of Neighbours of the
Gothic Quarter, stated: "We want the city's economic model to prioritise
other much fairer economies. And for that we consider that we have to
decrease tourism."
In response to these concerns, Barcelona's city council has voted to increase the tourist tax to up to €4 (US4.33) per person starting in October.
Additionally, they announced a plan to remove all 10,000 tourist flat
licenses over the next five years, aiming to address the housing crisis
and prioritise residential use. The city has also capped the size of tour groups and banned the use of megaphones on tours.
A local resident expressed worry about the impact on housing: "What
worries me is what tourism and speculation entail, the speculation they
are doing with the housing of the Spaniards. Spaniards have the right to
decent housing."