Sarah Rainesford
Southern Europe correspondent
BBC
As protesters marched through central Barcelona on Sunday, they cried out to tourists filming them, “I’m back home!”
The bewildered couple sitting in a street cafe gushed out with water pistols, while the gorgeous clothing store was stuck with stickers, declaring an unwelcome, fascinated tourist.
Tourism is extremely important to Spain, and Barcelona is a great destination for visitors. However, the crowd is growing so fast that many locals complain that they are squeezed out of their city.
Inhabitants are pushing back here and in popular places in southern Europe.
Protestors
The sign reads, “Your airbnb was my home.”
“We can’t live in this city. The rent is very high for the foreigners who come here and live here for the BNB and the weather,” Marina explained, raising her own flag as the crowd gathered.
It declared, “Your Airbnb was once my home.”
Other signs called for a ban on the huge cruise ship docking here.
“Our goal is not to stop tourism, but to have it at normal speeds as well,” Marina said.
The protestor’s route was hurt towards the towering Sagrada Familia church, designed by Catalan architect Gaudi, one of Barcelona’s biggest attractions.
The stunning architectural combination, the ocean and sun drew more than 15 million visitors to the city last year, almost ten times the local population. It’s no wonder that it feels tense.
“We’re not opposed to individual tourists. That’s how we manage this,” said Elena, a young marine biologist.
“The young people can’t afford to live here, and even just ordinary things like coffee, which are really expensive for our salary.”
residents
Pepi Viu, 80, was kicked out of her house earlier this month
Young people aren’t the only ones struggling.
At 80, Pepi Viu has just been kicked out of his home for almost ten years in a popular neighborhood. She believes the owner wants to earn more rent than the pensioner can pay.
Pepi is currently in the hostel and is looking for a more appropriate location, but the price has risen by almost 70% since she last rented it.
“Nothing found. No support. I feel unprotected and upset,” she says, frail and leaning against the stick. “Now we only have tourist flats, but our residents need to live somewhere!”
In some parts of town, almost all locals, like Pepi, are already pushed out.
But in a narrow, gothic paved street at the heart of Barcelona’s tourists, Joan Alvarez is fighting to hold the flats his family has borrowed for 25 years, and he is fighting for a price he can afford.
His landlord has ended his contract, but Jaune refuses to leave.
Most apartments in his building are already divided into single rooms to bring in more rent.
With tiled floors and a terrace that looks out to the cathedral, Jaune’s small oasis is one of the few that haven’t yet been there.
“It’s not just money, it’s a principle,” he explains. “This is the center of Barcelona and there are very few left for every one of our residents. That should not be the case.”
“Housing should not be a big business. Yes, this is his property, but it is my home.”
landlord
Pereda, who rents two flats to tourists in central Barcelona, says landlords are scapego-go
Following pressure from the protests, Barcelona authorities have already taken a fundamental step from 2028 to announce a complete ban on short-term rentals for tourists.
10,000 landlords lose tourist housing licenses.
But Jesus Pereda, who owns two popular tourist flats not far from Sagrada Familia, thinks it was a false response.
“They stopped offering new licenses 10 years ago, but rents are still rising. So how do we take responsibility? We are just enemies,” he insists.
Managing the flat is his job and provides income to himself and his wife. “We have concerns right now.”
Jesus believes that not tourists, but “nomadic” workers who are moving from other parts of Europe are the ones who are pushing rent. “They’re making more money and paying more. You can’t stop it.”
He argues that tourist flats like his help spread crowds and cash to other parts of the city. Without tourism, he believes there will be an “existential crisis” in Barcelona. It represents up to 15% of Spain’s gross domestic product (GDP).
If he loses his tourist license, Jesus will not take on a local tenant anyway. Price caps will sell both flats as long-term rentals will make little profit.
Reuters
In Barcelona, protesters use water pistols to spew people in tourist hotspots
Chorus and firecrackers
The protests in Barcelona reached its peak with the chant “You are all Gillis!” – Local slang for foreigners – and firecracker explosions. Red Smoke blows a huge wave in front of a line of police officers blocking all routes to the Sagrada Familia.
A little early, the crowd targeted the busy hotel and kicked Flair into the lobby. The tourists inside, including children, were clearly shaken.
Similar protests were also seen elsewhere in Spain, with the growing crowds in Portugal and Italy. Not much, but I’m a loud obsession.
The concerns are the same, and there is no consensus that is best addressed. However, Spain is looking forward to more tourists this summer.
Additional reports by Esperanza Escribano and Bruno Boelpaep
