Barcelona is tired of tourists. A demonstration was held in the center of the city on Saturday. Demonstrators taped hotel entrances, shouted at holidaymakers to go home and poured water on them. The demonstration is a response to the rising cost of living in Spain, for which many residents blame travelers.
“Barcelona is not for sale“,”Tourists, go home“- These were some of the slogans that could be seen on the placards carried by the protestors in the center on Saturday evening. Barcelona.
Barcelona doesn’t like tourists. “Get out of our neighborhood”
According to police calculations, a demonstration that took part 2,800 people, walked the streets of the capital of Catalonia. The participants angered tourists who were resting or visiting the city.
“Tourists leave our area” – Spaniards chanted “attack” holidaymakers with water cannons at restaurants and the city’s popular tourist spots. Demonstrators They plastered the entrances of hotelsPreventing registered residents from moving out.
See: June 2024 to be hottest month on record Scientists are sounding the alarm
Saturday’s protest in Barcelona was another demonstration in Spain Foreigners are encouraged to spend their holidays in the country. Earlier, similar actions were carried out, among others: in Palma, Majorca, around 15,000 people took to the streets. Demonstrators.
Protest in Barcelona. Is tourism a cause of rising cost of living?
Protesters blame the tourism industry The cost of living in Spain is rising. In the last decade, the number of apartments in the country is expected to increase by 68%. And rents will rise significantly.
Many also complain that the quality of life is declining.
– Local shops are closing to accommodate shops that cannot meet the needs of local residents. People can’t pay rent – Isa Miralles from Barcelonata district complained as quoted by GB News.
There is also concern that it could be due to the influx of holidaymakers Restrictions on water resources – Many parts of Spain are struggling with drought and restrictions on water use have been introduced. The problem is not limited to the Iberian Peninsula – some hotels in Sicily have reduced the number of receptions Inability to provide adequate water for showers and toilets.
There are no apartments for rent in Barcelona
Opponents are angry, though Not just for tourists. They blame city administrations and demand restrictions to limit the number of foreigners entering the country.
In June, Barcelona’s mayor Jaime Colboni announced plans to invalidate all short-term rental contracts by 2028. In this way, Apartments cannot be rented out to tourists And back to the local housing market.
See: There’s a problem in tourist paradise. Hoteliers should refuse accommodation to their guests
In 2023, the capital of Catalonia was visited 12 million tourists. According to a report by Sky News, early estimates put the number no doubt much higher by the end of 2024.
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