In Barcelona, ​​several thousand people demonstrated against mass tourism that had made the city “unlivable.”

Some 3,000 people took to the streets of Barcelona on Saturday to protest against mass tourism, which they say is suffocating the city and making it unlivable. On their banners: Such slogans are included.“Enough!” they chanted, “Let’s put an end to tourism,” or “Reduce tourism now!” while chanting, “Tourists, get out of our area.”

Barcelona is the most popular tourist destination in Spain, with more than 12 million tourists visiting the city last year, according to the city administration. Mass tourism has been a serious problem in the city for years, and locals are increasingly fed up with the situation. Recently, for example, the bus route to Park Guell was removed from Google Maps, because the flights were constantly packed with tourists, and elderly locals were often unable to board.

Housing costs have also skyrocketed in the city, with prices jumping 68 percent in the past decade, and mass tourism has had a negative impact on local retailers and the working conditions of local employees. As a result, the city’s mayor’s office recently announced that in order to ease housing problems, short-term rentals of apartments to tourists will be banned from 2029.

We recently wrote in detail on Telex about how European tourist centers like Venice, Amsterdam or even Barcelona deal with mass tourism.