Thousands of people have demonstrated in the streets of Barcelona over concerns about mass tourism.
According to police statistics, around 2,800 people took part in a protest in Barcelona on July 6, chanting slogans such as “Enough is enough! Limit tourism,” “Reduce tourism now” and “Keep tourists out of our area,” Schengen News reported.
I’m not against tourism, but here in Barcelona, the tourist overload has made the city unlivable.
70-year-old sociologist Jordi Guiu
According to local media reports, Barcelona is on track to attract more than 12 million tourists in 2023 alone.
According to local media reports, house prices have risen 68 percent over the past decade, and continued increases in housing prices, along with the impact of tourism on local commerce and working conditions, are one of the movement’s main challenges.
Local businesses are closing to make way for businesses that don’t serve the needs of the neighborhood. People can’t afford the rent.
Isa Mirrares, musician from the Barcelona district
The city council, led by Socialist politician Jaume Corboni, recently announced plans to ban the rental of apartments for tourists by 2028 as part of the fight against mass tourism and to revive the local housing market.
Such plans have raised concerns among tourist apartment associations, who say they will only provide feedback to the market.
In addition to Barcelona, other tourist destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Málaga and the Canary Islands have also seen demonstrations linked to mass tourism.
More than 33 million international visitors in the first five months of 2024
When it comes to tourism, Spain is one of the top European countries, welcoming large numbers of international visitors every year.
According to statistics released by the Spanish Ministry of Tourism, a total of 33 million international tourists visited Spain in the first five months of this year alone, an increase of 13.6% compared to the same period last year.
According to the ministry, the average expenditure per tourist in May was 1,263 euros, a 7.3% increase compared to last year’s statistics, and the average daily expenditure also showed a significant increase to 204 euros, an 8.6% increase compared to the previous year.
In the first five months of 2024, international tourist spending increased by 21.8% to more than €43.2 billion, while visitor numbers increased by 13.6% to more than 33.2 million.
Spanish Ministry of Tourism
According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), a total of 9.3 million foreign tourists visited Spain in May, an increase of 11.5% compared to May 2023. In addition, according to the same source, international visitors contributed 11,687 million euros, an increase of 19.7% compared to the figures recorded in May 2023.
Figures from the National Statistics Institute also revealed that it is the second most visited country after Spain, which received a total of 85 million international visitors last year, an increase of 18.7 percent compared to the 2022 statistics.
