Spaniards, especially in tourism-heavy Barcelona, have launched eye-catching protests using water pistols and colored smoke to dramatize the damage mass tourism is inflicting on housing access, affordability, and community life.
At a Glance
- Anti-tourism protests erupted in Barcelona and across southern Europe with demonstrators spraying water pistols and chanting slogans
- Activists blame short-term rentals and mass tourism for rising rents and local displacement
- Barcelona plans to revoke 10,000 tourist rental licenses by 2028 and pressure Airbnb to delist thousands of non-compliant listings
- Protesters accuse the tourism industry of “killing the city” and call for stronger resident protections
- The Spanish government has acknowledged overtourism’s strain on housing and infrastructure
The Protest Wave
Thousands marched across major southern European cities—including Barcelona, Lisbon, and Venice—under the “Southern Europe Against Overtourism” banner. As Reuters reports, protesters wielded colorful water pistols to splash tourists and deployed smoke bombs in a symbolic rebuke of overtourism. Their message: the influx of visitors is pushing locals out of their homes and destroying cultural identity.
In Barcelona, activist Txema Escorsa said residents are being priced out of their own city, a sentiment echoed widely in the region. AP News highlighted the growing frustration over Airbnb saturation and hotels replacing long-term housing.
Policy Measures Kick In
Barcelona’s city government has pledged to revoke 10,000 short-term rental licenses by 2028 and ordered Airbnb to delist over 65,000 non-compliant listings. According to The Guardian, this crackdown aims to reclaim housing for residents while preserving Barcelona’s character.
Spain’s Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo acknowledged that overtourism presents major challenges and vowed reforms to protect citizens’ housing rights, as detailed in another AP report.
What Comes Next?
With tourism accounting for a significant 12% of Spain’s GDP, policymakers face a delicate balancing act that requires careful consideration of both economic benefits and local concerns. Protesters, who are increasingly vocal about the effects of overtourism, have warned that lighthearted tactics could escalate into more aggressive forms of activism. They fear that if policy doesn’t catch up with their demands, there might be actions like beach blockades or widespread rental boycotts emerging as common strategies.
As local governments respond to these pressures by introducing measures like rent caps and tighter regulations, Spain may very well become the epicenter of Europe’s most ambitious and crucial fight against the issues associated with overtourism. The challenge lies not only in managing visitor numbers but also in preserving the cultural integrity and unique identity of cities such as Barcelona.
The pressing question remains: can the vibrant cultural soul of these iconic locations survive and thrive under the economic weight that tourism imposes? As the situation unfolds, it will be vital to monitor how both government actions and public sentiment shape the future landscape of tourism in Spain.
