On Saturday, July 6, 2024, the streets of Barcelona’s small neighborhood of Barceloneta were filled with the echoes of “tourists go home” as approximately 3,000 residents participated in a large-scale protest against mass tourism in their city. The demonstrators expressed frustration by blocking hotel entrances and sidewalk cafes with police-style tape. They also doused tourists with water guns and canned drinks. The protest, which coincided with Barcelona’s peak summer travel season, was a symbolic effort to draw attention to the effects of overtourism on local life.
@danmeetsworldatl There were murmurs of anti-tourism movement by a certain group last December when I was in Barcelona, Spain. Yesterday, anti-tourism protesters in Barcelona sprayed water guns at tourists and yelled “Go home!” So glad I got to visit Spain before these protests broke out. #antitourism #tourismprotest #protests #spainprotest #travelblogger ♬ original sound – Dylan Page
Why Barcelona Is Fighting Against Overtourism
The protests stem from factors that have increasingly strained the relationship between locals and the tourism industry. One of the primary concerns is the dramatic rise in housing prices, which many attribute to the influx of short-term rentals catering to tourists. According to Barcelona’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, rents have surged by 68% over the past decade. This increase is making it difficult for residents to afford to live in their own city.
Additionally, the city’s infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the sheer number of visitors. During the busiest months, hotel occupancy rates can reach 80%, and the Barcelona Cruise Port handles millions of passengers annually. During the protest, residents took to the streets equipped with water guns, squirting diners and families at outdoor restaurants.
While some locals engaged in verbal altercations with tourists, others held banners demanding fewer visitors.
“Spraying someone with water is not violent,” said Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, a protest organizer. “It’s probably not nice, but what the population is suffering every day is more violent.”
Reactions And Responses
The protests have sparked a range of reactions from various stakeholders. Rosario Sánchez, a high-ranking Spanish tourism official, condemned the protests, stating that the citizens were not rejecting tourism altogether but were seeking changes to improve their quality of life. On the other hand, Christian Petzold, director of BCN Travel, warned that the negative headlines could deter tourists and harm the city’s economy. Tourism accounts for 14% of Barcelona’s GDP and about 150,000 jobs.
