Barcelona residents rally against mass tourism
A protest has taken place in Barcelona's city centre against the growing impact of mass tourism on local communities. Organised by the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (Neighbourhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth), the demonstration featured symbolic actions such as squirting water pistols, taping off hotel entrances and setting off smoke bombs near luxury shops like Louis Vuitton. Activists say tourism is driving up housing costs, damaging the environment and displacing residents. There were similar demonstrations in other parts of Spain including Ibiza, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, San Sebastian and Granada. Campaigners in at least dozen other tourist hotspots across southern Europe have taken to the streets to protest against 'touristification'
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
European hotspots hit by protests as overtourism continues to cause tension
Thousands of protesters have gathered in major cities across southern Europe to demonstrate against overtourism. In Barcelona, the epicentre of the demonstrations, protesters fired water pistols at shop windows and let off plumes of coloured smoke. The demonstrators held banners with slogans such as "mass tourism kills the city" and chanted, "your holidays, my misery". The protests, organised under the banner of the SET alliance of 'Sud d'Europa contra la Turistització, or Southern Europe against Overtourism', saw groups in Portugal and Italy join forces to highlight how uncontrolled tourism is pricing local residents out of their own neighbourhoods. Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million, attracted 26 million tourists last year, placing a huge strain on local resources and infrastructure. Authorities in the north-eastern Spanish city estimated that around 600 people took part in the demonstration, with some affixing stickers reading "Neighbourhood self-defence, tourist go home" to shop windows and hotels. Outside one hotel, an agitated worker confronted the protesters saying he was "only working" and was not the venue's owner. There were similar demonstrations in other parts of Spain including Ibiza, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, San Sebastian and Granada. Protests in Italy took place in cities including Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Milan and Venice, where locals oppose the construction of two hotels that will add around 1,500 new beds to the city, the organisers told Reuters. In Barcelona, the city government said last year it would bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028 to make the city more liveable for residents. "I'm very tired of being a nuisance in my own city. 'The solution is to propose a radical decrease in the number of tourists in Barcelona and bet on another economic model that brings prosperity to the city," Eva Vilaseca, 38, told Reuters at Sunday's demonstration in Barcelona, dismissing the common counterargument that tourism brings jobs and prosperity. International travel spending in Europe is expected to rise by 11 per cent to $838 billion this year, with Spain and France among the countries set to receive record numbers of tourists. A separate protest in Lisbon took place on Sunday.
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
My day with Spanish anti-tourist activists giving Britons a soaking
Not long after we set off from near Gaudí's house, we came across our first target: a Louis Vuitton store. After one activist climbed a ladder to deliver a political speech, protesters, including a child, began spraying the store front. One scribbled 'Free Palestine' on the wall before a red smoke bomb engulfed us all. This was supposed to be an anti-tourism protest in Barcelona, one of many co-ordinated across southern Europe on Sunday. I had joined for the day to witness what it was like to be on the other side and see the sweeping pushback against over-tourism through the lens of locals. After making a short political stand, the Assembly for Tourism Degrowth moved on, with the tourist magnet of the Sagrada Familia church in our sights. I was now armed with a water pistol I'd been given by a figurehead in the group, Daniel Pardo, who was leading us past the Generator Hostel. Two young women slapped 'Tourists Go Home' stickers on the windows. Mr Pardo, seeing a window of opportunity, ordered the demonstration to stop. Next thing I knew, water guns were trained on the hostel entrance. For the tourists inside, it was initially amusing. Then came the tape. Activists began crossing the front entrance repeatedly, symbolically 'barring' entry with red-and-white ribbon. It was too much for one hostel employee, who stormed out shouting in frustration. Protesters sprayed him with their water pistols as he tore through the tape, grabbed one of the guns, and returned fire. A brief scuffle broke out, with pushing and shoving, before he was eventually pulled back inside. Moments later, another activist emerged from the crowd and picked up where the soaking had left off. He kicked a smoke bomb into the hostel, where horrified tourists – including children – looked on. The group moved on again, this time towards their biggest prize: the Sagrada Familia, a symbolic target for the protesters given it is visited by five million tourists every year. Police blocked their path and even officers were caught by the odd squirt from water guns. After a 30-minute stand-off, the group was allowed to proceed to within sight, but not within reach, of the famous basilica. On the way, protesters targeted outdoor restaurant tables. Gabriel and Rachel, tourists from Los Angeles, were among those caught in the crossfire. While Gabriel sat over his soggy avocado lunch, he told me that it was annoying but insisted it wouldn't stop him returning to Barcelona. At this point, I should make it clear I did not fire my water gun. Many protesters insist their fight isn't with the tourists themselves, but with the political and economic model that they say allows mass tourism to overwhelm their city. Rents in Barcelona have soared and neighbourhoods once filled with families are now dominated by short-term lets, particularly Airbnbs. Not only this but many local shops have vanished, replaced by souvenir stalls and endless Turkish cafes, particularly around areas such as La Rambla and Poblenou. Residents say elderly neighbours are struggling to afford food and bills while landlords and corporations cash in. 'We have a big problem with housing in Barcelona. Some people are lucky just to eat or turn on the lights,' said Francisca García, who joined the protest. For groups like hers, tourism is not just a nuisance but a form of 'economic colonisation,' where quality of life is sacrificed for the comfort of short-term visitors. Their goal, they insist, is not better tourism but less of it. That may be true for most activists but their actions sometimes blur the line. The most common chant that echoed throughout the day was: 'Tourists go home, refugees welcome.' Message may be getting through At one point, a protester shouted into a microphone that Gaudí built the Sagrada Familia for locals, not tourists who leave it looking like a 'shit-tip'. At the end of the protest, when the Assembly read out its manifesto, the language veered towards conspiracy, accusing authorities of 'brutal gentrification' and 'population replacement'. 'For more than two decades, we have seen a large part of the neighbourhood being evicted and practically its entire old town demolished, in a savage attempt to replace its population,' the manifesto reads. Their message, however messy, may be getting through. Barcelona's mayor has announced plans to ban all short-term tourist rentals by 2029. More than 10,000 flats are currently licensed for tourists, and the city hopes to return many of these to locals. 'We are confronting what we believe is Barcelona's largest problem,' said mayor Jaume Collboni. The movement is no longer a fringe concern, with protests also taking place across southern Europe on Sunday in Madrid, Palma, Venice and Lisbon. Tourists are undoubtedly starting to take notice – it's becoming harder to ignore. Even away from the protests, my hotel made a point of proudly advertising its commitment to 'sustainable tourism' in the room, as though it were a key part of its appeal. Sander and Luke Dingle, visiting from Florida, told me their hotel had posted warnings about the protest but they weren't deterred. 'We'll keep travelling around Spain, we're going to Madrid in a few days and we'll probably come back to Europe next year,' they said. Indeed, tourism in Barcelona is still booming. More than 11.7 million tourists visited the city in 2024, a 5 per cent increase on the previous year. The Spanish government in recent days has also approved a €3.2 billion expansion of the city's airport, indicating there will be no sign of the industry slowing down. It seems inevitable that tourism will continue to thrive in Barcelona but if today is anything to go by, the activists won't be letting up. Visitors might just have to pack an extra waterproof next to their factor 50.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Furious Spaniards demand Brits 'go home' as they march through streets in front of stunned holidaymakers in latest wave of anti-tourist protests
Thousands of locals have taken to the streets of Mallorca to tell Brits to 'go home' as part of a nationwide protest against so-called 'over tourism'. Holidaymakers were visibly stunned by the dramatic demonstrations in Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza on Sunday afternoon. Thousands of fed-up locals were seen banging their drums and chanting slogans while marching by tourists enjoying their evening meals. The demonstration began at Plaza de España, in the heart of the tourist city, shortly after 6pm. Activists claim more than 30,000 people took to the streets to voice their frustrations about the impact of tourism on the island. Placards held up by marchers read: 'Tourists go home', 'Mallorca is not for sale' and 'Mallorca is not your cash cow… go home.' Footage shows Brits visibly shocked by the demonstrations, while some tourists were seen taking refuge on their accommodation balconies. Other signs read: 'Your vacations, our anxiety.' Dozens of placards read 'tourists go home… refugees welcome', while a group of teenagers could be heard chanting 'tourists go home!' as they marched through the city. Activists have claimed more than 30,000 people attended the protest today Children taking part in the protest were seen carrying water pistols, with plans to spray holidaymakers as they pass on by. Protesters were heard chanting slogans against Airbnb and 'guiris' - the Spanish slang term used to describe Brits and other foreigners. One placard read: 'Rich foreign property buyers go to hell', while another said: 'Enough is enough.' Local resident Oriol, 40, told MailOnline: 'I'm protesting because I don't want 80% of my money to go on rent. 'I don't want to be forced to speak only English or German in by apartment block. 'I don't want my friends to have to go to the mainland when they have children just to be able to afford a dignified life, a lot of us are fed up.' Alex, 32, has a masters degree and a well-paying job. He told MailOnline: 'I'm here because I cannot afford to buy my own place, I'm having to live with my parents because the rent is also too much. 'There are also far too many people coming to the island for holiday, our resources cannot cope, there needs to be a limit.' The demonstrations are taking place in major destinations including Barcelona, Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, San Sebastian, Granada, Tenerife and Malaga. Other European destinations involved in the action include Venice in Italy and Lisbon in Portugal. The action is designed to 'call attention to the social and environmental costs of overtourism.' The protests have been organised by the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification (SET), and are supported by local activist groups. Many locals living in tourist hotspots in Spain believe the industry's model has become too excessive. They say the numbers of visitors continue to increase year by year, creating an increasing demand on local resources. They also complain that the overwhelming amount of tourist activity is causing environmental pollution, particularly in Tenerife, where natural landscapes are not being properly protected by local authorities, while a surge in pleasure boats and sewage waste are polluting the marine environment, they claim. More importantly, the explosion of Airbnb-style properties has seen property prices surge over the past five to 10 years. In holiday hotspots, landlords are choosing to rent to tourists instead of selling or renting to local families. This is stripping housing supply and making the available stock far more expensive and out of reach for a growing number of locals. The protesters marched for over a kilometre before gathering in Plaza de Reina near to the seafront. A series of activists gave speeches demanding a 'drastic' change in laws regarding the tourism industry - including banning Airbnb style properties from the island. Dozens of officers from the armed National Police force were seen escorting the protesters throughout the march, which ended without incident. In Ibiza, another popular Spanish island for British holidaymakers, similar protests took place demanding reductions to tourism. Around 1,000 protesters took part in the march organised by major anti-tourism platform Canviem el Rumb, which has been carrying out demonstrations in the Spanish holiday hotspot over the last year. Security was stepped up to protect tourists from the demonstrators, who left Portal de Ses Taules in the town centre at around 6pm and ended at Plaza de sa Graduada, in front of the courts at 9pm. Major demonstrations also took place across other cities in Spain, including Barcelona, and San Sebastián, as well as other European cities in Portugal and Italy. The protests aim to keep pressure on governments to address the problems generated by tourism, including rising rents, housing shortages and environmental damage. Canviem el Rumb is campaigning for a reduction in tourism, which it claims is having an adverse effect on Ibiza. 'Although each of them will have their own characteristics, they will all jointly critique mass tourism and luxury tourism,' said Pau Kokura, a member of Canviem el Rumb. The group says tourism is only helping the rich whilst the poor in Ibiza suffer, especially due to the lack of affordable housing. It also argues that there is an overabundance of hotel rooms, making it impossible for residents to afford rentals and therefore remain on the island. Agnès Vidal, another member of the organization, said: 'Mass tourism affects many aspects of our daily lives. This time, we want to highlight five key areas: the first, the right to water, because we have villages that dedicate themselves to irrigating water when the people of the island reduce their consumption. 'The second, the right to have a property in good condition. Third, we demand decent work, because people who work, especially during the summer, do so in terrible conditions in many sectors. 'We also demand the right to rest, which is often not possible with the mega-clubs. The fifth block is housing. We have more and more people living in substandard housing around Ibiza Town. And that's why we have to find a solution.' Activists believe the current tourism model is 'unsustainable' and pushing the islands toward collapse. They want to limit the number of tourists visiting the islands, ban new hotel construction and introduce a tougher tourist tax, among other measures. But Brits holidaying in Tenerife previously told MailOnline the locals 'should be careful what they wish for.' A poll by Majorca Daily Bulletin found that around 44 per cent of people will now think twice about booking a holiday on the popular island after huge demonstrations over mass tourism. Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency warned: 'If this survey is accurate, local protestors should be careful what they wish for. 'The Majorcan (and other local islands) economy relies heavily on tourism to create jobs and bring money into the region. 'It would be a disaster for the area if the protests, however valid, cut off the flow of visitors and reduce income. 'The solution is to work with local authorities on spreading the number of visitors into the shoulder seasons, so there is a flow of tourists throughout the year rather than be concentrated over the summer.' One regular visitor to Tenerife told MailOnline last month echoed the same sentiment. Paul Nixon, 60, from Staffordshire said: 'I think they need to be careful what they wish for, the island is so dependent on tourism. 'I think bookings are down already to be honest, it seems quieter this year. 'I saw they were spraying tourists with water in Barcelona which is completely wrong, if they started doing that here then we would definitely be put off coming.'
