How did Barcelona say “no”? – ISNA

According to RCO News Agency, “Your luxury trip – my daily misery”, this was one of the writings that was written on the wall of Barcelona last year addressed to tourists.

Euronews wrote, in 2024, the opposition of the Spanish city of Barcelona against “indiscriminate tourism” reached a new level. With more than 15 million tourists visiting Barcelona each year and attracted by its stunning mix of art and architecture, top-notch football team and the city’s coastal location, the city’s residents are under pressure.

Of course, “Barcelona” is not the only European city that has declared its opposition to excessive tourism. Italy, for example, is also grappling with the problem of overcrowding and has imposed new restrictions on cruise ships in many ports.

In the continuation of the turbulent year in the field of tourism of the most visited city in Spain, we look at the prospects of 2025.

Barcelona’s decision to ban short-term rentals

In June, Barcelona city council unveiled a tough plan to end the certification of tourist apartments by the end of 2028.

In fact, Barcelona has not issued any new certificates for tourist apartments since 2014. However, this procedure has not solved the problem of the lack of rental housing for the residents of this city.

In response to this plan, “Barcelona Tourist Apartments Association” (APARTUR) announced that “Airbnb” style apartments only cover a very small part of the houses in this city. The association warned that restricting the issuance of certificates could lead to an increase in illegal apartments and the possible disappearance of 40 percent of the city’s tourism.

The debate over illegal tourism intensified in July, when around 3,000 people took to the streets to chant “Tourists go home”.

About 150 groups, organizations and social movements took part in this demonstration, and similar actions were also formed in the Canary Islands and Mallorca.

Subsequent protests against high rents in November, while not so much aimed at tourists, did highlight over-tourism as a driver.

Increase in tourism tax

In an effort to increase “quality tourism”, the city council has quickly increased the city’s tourism tax; A tax dedicated to cleaning, security, city infrastructure and other services.

In October, the city tax increased to a maximum of 4 euros per person and depending on the type of accommodation.

Barcelona has tested many ways to minimize its heavy tourist footprint in 2024.

In a rather clever move, the city council removed a busy bus route from Google Maps to free up more space for city residents.

The city council has also taken care of the tourist buses that can often block the grounds around the famous Gaudi-designed Sagrada Familia church.

It is not only accommodation and transportation that bothers the city’s residents, but they are also unhappy with the impact of tourists on the streetscape. Barcelona councilor Albert Butle said in August that any shop that “doesn’t contribute anything” economically should be “removed from the area”.

From this year’s deluge of News, it might seem like Barcelona is a place tourists should avoid, or at least wear a poncho to protect themselves from water-bottle-wielding residents walking down the street. But the Barcelona Tourism Consortium assured Euronews that the reality was much more pleasant, declaring: “The atmosphere of the city is completely normal and we continue to receive messages of support and interest from visitors all over the world.”

The Barcelona Tourism Consortium also announced that tourist satisfaction in Barcelona is high with an index of 8.7, and visitors consistently highlight the friendly nature of its citizens.

Also, official figures show that 70.8% of residents believe that tourism is beneficial for this city.

2025 will undoubtedly bring new regulations to balance tourism in this city. For example, the city council is currently considering new ways to reclaim the space around the Sagrada Familia.

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