Spain’s most visited area in 2023 was Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona
Barcelona:
Hundreds of protesters marched Saturday in Barcelona to denounce mass tourism and its impact on Spain’s most visited metropolis, the newest in a sequence of comparable marches within the nation.
Underneath the slogan “Sufficient! Let’s put limits on tourism”, some 2,800 folks — in keeping with police — marched alongside a waterfront district of Barcelona to demand a brand new financial mannequin that would cut back the tens of millions of vacationers that go to yearly.
Demonstrators maintain an indication studying ‘Barcelona shouldn’t be on the market’ throughout a protest in opposition to mass tourism in Barcelona
Picture Credit score: AFP
“I’ve nothing in opposition to tourism, however right here in Barcelona we’re affected by an extra of tourism that has made our metropolis unliveable,” stated Jordi Guiu, a 70-year-old sociologist.
With banners saying “Cut back tourism now!”, the protesters chanted slogans reminiscent of “Vacationers out of our neighbourhood”, stopping in entrance of resorts to the shock of holiday makers.
Barcelona’s rising value of housing, up 68 p.c prior to now decade in keeping with native authorities, is likely one of the essential points for the motion, together with the results of tourism on native commerce and dealing situations within the metropolis of 1.6 million inhabitants.
“Native retailers are closing to make manner for shops that don’t serve the wants of neighbourhoods. Folks can’t afford their rents,” stated Isa Miralles, a 35-year-old musician who lives within the Barceloneta district.
The northeastern coastal metropolis, with internationally well-known websites reminiscent of La Sagrada Familia, acquired greater than 12 million vacationers final yr, in keeping with native authorities.
To fight the “damaging results of mass tourism”, the town council run by the Socialist Jaume Collboni introduced 10 days in the past that it was banning vacationer condominium leases — there at the moment are greater than 10,000 — by 2028 in order that they are often put again on the native housing market.
The announcement might result in a authorized battle and is opposed by an affiliation of vacationer flats who say it should simply feed the black market.
The Barcelona protests come after related demonstrations in vacationer hotspots reminiscent of Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and the Canary Islands.
Demonstrators march throughout a protest in opposition to mass tourism in Barcelona
Picture Credit score: AFP
The second most visited nation after France, Spain acquired 85 million international guests in 2023, a rise of 18.7 p.c from the earlier yr, in keeping with the Nationwide Statistics Institute.
Essentially the most visited area was Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, with 18 million, adopted by the Balearic Islands (14.4 million) and the Canary Islands (13.9 million).
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