Lorraine Williamson
Barcelona is drawing a firm line in the sand: no more business as usual when it comes to mass tourism. With more than 17 million visitors descending on the Catalan capital in 2024 — matching its pre-pandemic peak — the city has finally said enough is enough.
From rising rents to overtourism protests, the cracks in the postcard-perfect city have become impossible to ignore.
Now, in a move likely to send ripples across Europe’s most visited cities, Barcelona is shifting course. The goal? To curb the suffocating pressure tourism has placed on daily life and reclaim the city for its residents.
Tourism growth no longer the goal
Rather than celebrating rising visitor numbers, Mayor Jaume Collboni made the city’s new stance clear: growth is no longer a goal. “Barcelona must remain a place where people want to live and work — not just visit,” he said. In other words, quality over quantity.
The strategy: a pivot from promotion to preservation, from expansion to regulation. The hope is to strike a better balance — where the city benefits from tourism, without being consumed by it.
Housing under siege: Permits set to be scrapped
One of the boldest measures? A plan to eliminate all tourist rental licences by the end of 2028. That means more than 10,000 holiday lets — largely found on platforms like Airbnb — would be taken off the market.
Collboni called the housing crisis Barcelona’s most urgent problem. Rents have soared, entire neighbourhoods have been transformed into hotel zones, and locals are being pushed out. Scrapping short-term lets, the city argues, is the only way to restore affordable living conditions.
Even Spain’s national government is backing the move. “We must do everything we can to keep housing affordable,” said Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez.
From buses to beaches: Protests turn up the pressure
The message from residents has been loud and clear. In a recent demonstration, protesters blocked a tourist bus and plastered it with “Tourists go home” stickers. The action — part performance, part plea — was playful but pointed. And this time, City Hall is listening.
Barcelona has joined the growing club of European cities where tourism is being reined in, not ramped up. It follows recent crackdowns in Amsterdam, Venice, and Palma de Mallorca, all facing similar pushback.
Spain’s first commissioner for sustainable tourism
The appointment of José Antonio Donaire as Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism marks another first for Barcelona. A veteran in tourism policy, Donaire has been tasked with designing a system that delivers economic benefits without sacrificing liveability.
He’s already proposed what he calls “surgical measures” — targeted restrictions in the areas worst affected, rather than sweeping bans. “Tourists don’t have to disappear,” he said in El País, “but a new balance is essential.”
Cruise clampdown and tourist tax hike
Cruise tourism is another pressure point. From 2027, the number of terminals at Barcelona’s port will drop from seven to five. The move is expected to slash cruise passenger numbers and reduce air pollution from docked ships.
Meanwhile, the tourist tax will rise — with the revenue earmarked for improvements like air conditioning in public schools. The idea: make tourism pay its fair share, so residents feel the benefits too.
Illegal rentals in the firing line
Crucially, the city is also intensifying its crackdown on illegal rentals. Listings without proper permits are being swiftly removed, with platforms such as Airbnb under strict orders to comply or face penalties.
The aim isn’t just to protect housing, but to dismantle the unfair advantage holiday lets have over the traditional rental market.
From global hotspot to local first
Barcelona’s pivot wasn’t made in isolation. It emerged from political negotiations with the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) during budget talks. But the deeper driving force is clear: a broader European reckoning with the limits of mass tourism.
Once a global model for urban tourism, Barcelona is now looking to become a blueprint for sustainable tourism. It’s a gamble — but one many cities will be watching closely.
What’s next for Barcelona — and for Europe?
Will fewer cruise ships, stricter rental rules, and the end of tourist promotion campaigns deter visitors? Possibly. But city leaders say they’re ready to sacrifice quantity for quality — to protect the very charm that drew tourists in the first place.
As other cities from Lisbon to Dubrovnik grapple with similar dilemmas, Barcelona’s bold stance could set a new standard. It’s a city saying no — not to tourism itself, but to being swallowed by it.