Residents in Barcelona staged a demonstration Sunday against tourists saying their presence had helped skyrocket cost of accommodation in the area.
Footage from the demo shows the protestors firing water pistols at tourists who were sitting in a cafe in Barcelona having drinks and other snacks.
Go home
The protesters, about 2000,were heard chanting, “tourists go home.” They say mass tourism has had negative impacts in the city such as pollution.
The demonstration was organised by a group of more than 100 local organizations, led by the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (Neighborhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth).
The visitors, they say, increase prices and put pressure on public services, while profits from the tourism industry are unfairly distributed and increase social inequality.
It followed other protests in Malaga, Mallorca and Tenerife sparked by local anger about the impact of increasing tourism on housing, transport and local facilities.
In 2023 alone about 26 million visitors made an overnight stay in the Barcelona region in 2023, spending $13.8 billion, according to official figures.
And recently, Spain introduced nomad visa allowing remote workers to work and live in the country adding pressure to accommodation.
Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic now wants closure of cruise ship terminals and an end to public spending on tourism promotion.
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