The City of Barcelona is dealing with the harsh realities of overtourism. This gentrification is erasing the city’s soul and endangering its vibrant character and creative energy. As the number of tourists skyrockets, many residents express concern that their beloved city is increasingly resembling a marketing department’s ideal rather than its authentic self. Travel writer and The Guardian reporter Stephen Burgen focuses on urgent problems affecting residents and tourists. Through his lens, we see the hazards that can accompany the detrimental flood of visitors.
In 2022, Barcelona received almost a hundred million visitors to Spain, with about 30 million coming to the city itself. This is a dramatic increase from only 10 million visitors 20 years ago. In the case of Barcelona, the tourism sector now represents 14% of their GDP. It accounts for 12% of Spain’s GDP, underscoring its importance to both the regional and state economy. The state’s booming tourism industry is generating thousands of new job opportunities. Yet too often these positions come with low wages and lack of job security.
That alienating, touristy vibe— exacerbated by the deluge of visitors— has begun to anger locals as well. Just yesterday, protesters watered-down tourists in the streets surrounding the beautiful and world-renowned Sagrada Familia. In particular, they let loose about the inescapable tourist crowds that have transformed formerly calm neighborhoods into frenetic hotspots. Unlike most residents’ associations, their response in Mallorca has been incendiary. They have released an open letter imploring tourists to reconsider their travel plans and stay away from the island.
As the city’s leaders grapple with these challenges, Turisme de Barcelona launched a new campaign under the slogan “This is Barcelona,” aiming to promote a more authentic experience for visitors while addressing residents’ concerns. Unfortunately, in spite of these good efforts, many residents are experiencing the sensation that their city is being taken away from under them.
The economic consequences of overtourism go much further than job loss. Rents for shops in central Barcelona have increased by as much as 576% over the last five years. This extreme spike puts an impossible burden on local businesses struggling to survive while everything gets more expensive. A florist whose family has sold flowers on La Rambla since 1888 poignantly remarked, “We’ve lost everything, but it was us, we Catalans, who sold it.” This is a common sentiment among Angelenos, many of whom are tired of the commercialization that they feel has sullied the city’s vibrant cultural history.
La Rambla, like many of our historic public spaces, was originally a unique local thoroughfare filled with shops and street life. Today, it’s congested and dangerous to cross. Similarly, Barceloneta beach—once a loved refuge for the people who lived in Barcelona—has gotten so overrun with visitors that many locals won’t even go anymore. For a quarter century, every mayor of Barcelona has vowed to clamp down on tourism. While they would like to focus on quality instead of quantity, the progress just keeps passing them by.
The city council has opened a new pocket park almost weekly to address the chronic crisis. Like any new initiative these days, they hope to draw tourists in a more eco-friendly, sustainable manner. Whether or not these initiatives will actually mitigate the stresses of overtourism remains to be seen. Or they could be band-aids for a multilayered problem at best.
Barcelona welcomes millions of visitors each year. While this brings numerous economic benefits, it creates an urgent need to weigh these benefits against the desire to protect the city’s genuine character. Local sentiments reflect a palpable yearning for a less overwhelming and more sustainable tourism experience. Both the long-time residents and new visitors wish to live together in peace.