Over the summer while millions enjoyed their vacations abroad…
Thousands took to the streets of Barcelona to protest the damage that increased tourism has cost the city.
These tourism protests made headlines in July…
But did it have any lasting effects?
The Tourism Protests That Rocked Spain
On July 6th, 3,000 locals flooded Barcelona demanding an end to the city’s growing overtourism. These protesters doused tourists with water guns while they ate and crowds chanted the slogan “Tourists go home!”
BUT THIS ISSUE DIDN’T JUST COME FROM NOWHERE, THESE TOURISM PROTESTS HAVE BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.
In 2023, following pandemic shutdowns…
Spain welcomed a record-breaking 85 million tourists to the country. As such, almost every tourist hot spot in the country has experienced gains in tourist numbers…
The trend isn’t slowing down. This year, in August, the city brought in another 10.9 million tourists. These sprawling tourists mostly come from neighboring European countries and the U.S.
As the number of foreign travelers grows, so does the anti-tourist sentiment. Between 1990 and 2023, the number of hotels in Barcelona quadrupled…
AND RENTS CLIMBED 68% IN THE PAST TEN YEARS.
For local Spaniards, the problem doesn’t lie with how annoying tourists tend to be…
Overtourism has made the city too expensive for people who call Barcelona their home. Locals voiced this frustration in the tourism protests.
The Assembly of Neighborhoods for Tourism Degrowth is the organization behind the tourism protests…
And they show no signs of slowing down…
But what effect did these tourism protests actually have?
Effects of Protests
While the tourism protests did affect tourism in Barcelona…
THE EFFECTS WERE NOT NEARLY LONG-LASTING ENOUGH TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
RateGain, a software company that processes transactions for the global travel industry noted that in the seven to ten days following the protests…
Hotel bookings dropped 23% and search activity for Barcelona travel dropped 35%.
But after six weeks the bookings sank to normal levels.
As for awareness, a staggering 89% of American tourists had no clue these tourism protests were happening. Of those that did, 70% said the protests did not affect their travel plans. Ouch.
But The Assembly of Neighborhoods for Tourism Degrowth isn’t stopping there. The group submitted a list of demands to Barcelona’s city council to combat overtourism. Some of the demands included:
- Reversing plans to expand the Barcelona airport
- Reducing the number of cruise terminals near the city
- Ending tax-funded tourism promotion sites.
In response to the tourism protests…
The city council released “Government Measure for Tourism Reform Management 2024 – 2027…”
A document that focuses on how to best manage the swaths of tourists. The organization however is less than pleased with the management plan.
Future of Spanish Tourism
But that’s not to say the city council is uncooperative. After all, Barcelona announced a ban on Airbnb…
A move that would move 10,000 rental units into the long-term market.
Ultimately, these tourism protests might have not had the intended effect…
But needless to say, Barcelona’s city council is going to have to make some big changes.
Be Great,
GCTV Staff
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