by All in all, the rise in popularity of Barcelona in the nineties was, on the whole, nothing more than pride for its citizens. Tourism was the golden goose that kept many bars and restaurants from going under during the financial crisis, and would provide employment for thousands of people.
It is difficult to say when the tipping point was.
Maybe it happened when the local trains became crowded with traders, or the year when it seemed like an ice cream parlor suddenly appeared on every corner. Or maybe when the handful of small family shops in the Ciutat Vella gave way to neon-lit late-night supermarkets.
Was it about the time that bars replaced their zinc counters and fruit machines with cookie-cutter banquettes and subway tiles, and locals found they had to contend with an English-only cafe menu of baffling permutations when not they only need coffee. milk?
Apparently, these factors played a minor role compared to the behavior of the new breed of holidaymakers – younger, less well-off and more interested in Spanish weather, beaches and cheap beer than in early drafts. Picasso or in the flowering architecture of the Modernistas. .
More than ever these visitors were staying in resorts rather than hotels. In 2019, before Covid skewed the figures, 9.5 million Barcelona tourists stayed in hotels, and four million stayed in rented apartments, many of these in otherwise residential blocks.
“The problem is not tourism in itself,” says Barcelona resident Helena Lizari. “It’s the attitude. Few visitors would dream of behaving at home the way they behave here. It’s like they’ve left the social norms of their own countries behind and treat Barcelona like one big party.”
But it’s not just noise, litter or disrespect that annoys the locals. “There are fewer useful services or good food shops in the center now,” says Lizari. “They’re all pushed out for souvenir shops and restaurants that only cater to outsiders.”
Although visitors are unlikely to encounter direct hostility, some resentment is evident in the form of regular protests about over-tourism, and a lot of “take tourists home” graffiti.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has tackled the problem and made a shock declaration last week – none of the city’s Airbnb rentals or other short-term tourist rentals will be licensed after November 2028.
“These 10,000 apartments will be used by city residents, or put on the market for rent or sale,” he said. He talked about the rise in rents (up about 70 percent) and property prices (up about 40 percent) in the last decade, and how difficult life was for ordinary citizens.
Nothing may come of the plan – for one thing there is no guarantee that Collboni will get the second mandate he would need to follow it through. There are also various legal measures underway to block it, with the claim that it would be a violation of property rights, but the move seems to reflect a political change and a desire to solve the problems of overtourism.
This is not the first such move – Collboni is also in talks with the port authorities about restricting cruise ships, which are rarely seen in the city for environmental reasons and for embarrassing passengers who stray onto the streets but who eat and drink on board, without spending much. money in the city itself.
Other measures include a night tourism tax that can add €3 or more per person, per night, to a hotel bill, as well as restrictions on certain sites, such as a ban on large groups in the Boqueria, a food market celebrated Barcelona.
It remains to be seen whether these will be enough to bring tourism back to profitability.
How to be a good tourist in Barcelona
There are easy ways to reduce your impact, such as visiting out of season, if you can (and Barcelona can be beautiful in, say, January or October).
In addition, many of Barcelona’s problems stem from overcrowding in certain key areas, such as the narrow streets of the Ciutat Vella, but if you go to the neighborhoods away from the center, you will discover that they have distinct characters – many of them. they started out as discreet villages – and are well worth exploring for anyone looking to explore off the beaten tourist path.
Gracia It is one such former village, subsumed by the huge spurt of growth when Barcelona’s ancient walls came down in the 19th century. Today it is animation barrio of low-rise houses, lively squares and streets lined with unusual boutiques and indie cafes. It’s not full of sights, but it does have one of Gaudí’s earliest buildings, the Casa Vicens. Base yourself in Gràcia is a good move if you plan to visit the Sagrada Família or Park Güell.
St it is another former village swallowed up by the construction of the gridded Eixample. It’s best known as the city’s main transport hub, but has gained a reputation for cool bars and restaurants (not to mention Barcelona’s own Nobu Hotel) and is being remodeled to include more green spaces there. As well as travelers and gastronomy, Sants is a good bet for football fans, with the Camp Nou stadium a short cab ride away.
Poblenou is the former industrial zone of the city, on the north side. Today it’s a hotbed of start-ups and lofts, with many run-down hipster cafes alongside the long-standing fish restaurants. From Poblenou it’s an easy walk to some of Barcelona’s quieter beaches. Among the attractions are the Design Museum and the Els Encants flea market with its spectacular reflective ceiling. Nearby is the neo-classical Teatre Nacional de Catalunya and the Music Museum.
Community Sec located between the hill of Montjuïc (where you will find the Fundació Joan Miró – among other excellent museums) and the wild hum barrio of Sant Antoni. Its narrow streets are dotted with modernist Modernista facades, and the pedestrianized Carrer Blai serves as the main meeting point, with dozens of terrace tables where visitors share elbow room with locals.
