Spain has rebounded spectacularly from the days of the Covid pandemic. In 2022, it experienced a 130% post-pandemic jump in tourism to reach 71.7 million tourist arrivals and in 2023 it reached a record 85.2 million arrivals, the No.2 country destination in the world, second only to France which hit 100 million arrivals in the same year. (See Wikipedia Top Ten rankings for tourism arrivals below.)
Although this trend brings badly needed revenue to Spain’s economy, it does come with a range of socio-economic and environmental problems, particularly in popular destinations like Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, and Costa del Sol.
In cities like Barcelona, this has caused overcrowding, leading to a decrease in the quality of life for residents, who often face rising rents and the erosion of traditional neighborhoods due to the proliferation of short-term rental properties.
Environmental degradation is another significant issue. Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable, with mass tourism contributing to the destruction of natural habitats and increased pollution. For instance, in the Balearic Islands, the high volume of tourists has led to water shortages and excessive waste, with 1.6 million tons of waste generated annually, much of it plastic.
The economic benefits of mass tourism are also unevenly distributed. While the industry contributes around 12% to Spain's GDP, many jobs created are seasonal and low-paid, leading to economic disparities. In response, there has been growing anti-tourism sentiment in some areas, with protests and calls for more sustainable tourism practices.
This culminated this summer with the squirting of tourists by protestors in Barcelona and the taping off of restaurants in a demonstration to show that mass tourism is not acceptable anymore in Barcelona. The protests were led by the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turistic (ABDT), which translates to Neighbourhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth. You can find out more about these protests in the following article. It also introduces the interesting concept of ‘tourism degrowth’. This is a reduction in tourism numbers and over-reliance on tourism within the economy of an area by developing other sectors instead. The ABDT says ‘neighbourhoods have been gentrified and local identity lost, public services are under pressure, the cost of living and housing has gone up, and the planes, hire cars and cruise ships that carry tourists around damage the environment’. So for them, tourism degrowth would clearly be a net gain. This is not to say that this sole organisation represents the views of the majority in the city. Polling evidence suggests that nearly 71% of people believe tourism benefits the city, although the number of people who believe it is harmful to the city has also risen to 23%.
The demonstrations such as the one by the ABDT does show rising discontentment at the issue of mass tourism however, its purpose by 3000 protestors was to raise awareness and perform an act that they knew would grab media headlines (squirting tourists with water pistols for example).
I happened to visit Barcelona myself this summer (2024), as did multiple friends and family members, and I have to say nobody had a problem from local people’s rising frustration of tourists, the local people were nothing but welcoming and friendly in my experience - showing that even though antagonism is rising, it has probably not yet reached critical levels but that judgement is based upon a narrow assessment of a small group of visitors. If we look at Doxey’s index of irritation caused by tourism, Barcelona could be considered to be at No.4, Antaganism stage.
Tourism Degrowth has been discussed, but how do we do that and what other solutions are possible? One recent article has mentioned the raising of the tourist tax for cruise ship passengers who disembark in Barcelona for less than 12 hours. Another approach to reduce overtourism is the reduction of licenses for apartment rentals. Many customers of AirBnb benefit from cheaper rentals, how this has the effect of driving up apartment prices for locals as many switch to buying for the exclusive use of tourism rentals. This approach could decentralise tourism from Barcelona’s city centre and lead to more tourists searching for apartments in the suburbs and the periphery of Barcelona.
To manage overcrowding, the city promotes alternative tourist routes and attractions outside the popular areas like La Rambla and the Sagrada Familia. They have also enhanced public spaces and infrastructure in less-visited neighbourhoods to make them more attractive to tourists.
Furthermore, Barcelona has increased its focus on sustainable tourism. This includes encouraging environmentally friendly practices among businesses and visitors, such as reducing waste and promoting public transportation. The city has also cracked down on illegal tourism practices, such as unlicensed tour guides and accommodations.
Lastly, they engage in ongoing dialogue with residents to address their concerns and ensure that tourism policies align with the city's broader social and economic goals. These measures collectively aim to make tourism in Barcelona more sustainable and less intrusive. Whether or not this reduces the level of irritation will be seen over the years to come. For now, its status as a global hotspot for tourism thanks to its location on the Spanish Mediterranean coast and amazing architectural gems will continue to make it a very popular place for tourists.
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