Spain's Battle with Mass Tourism: Rising Protests and Policy Changes

Spain's tourism minister denounced a small group of anti-tourism protesters in Barcelona who squirted water at foreign tourists. The protests highlight the growing discontent against mass tourism, blamed for high housing costs. Officials and activists call for regulatory reforms to make tourism more sustainable and equitable.

Spain's tourism minister condemned the actions of a small group of protesters who sprayed visitors to Barcelona with water pistols last weekend, stating on Thursday that they did not represent the country's culture of hospitality.

Activists protesting the impact of mass tourism on the city marched through the city center on Saturday, chanting slogans like “tourists go home.” Some protesters surrounded restaurants, with fewer than a dozen squirting water at people identified as foreign tourists, as shown in a Reuters video. Jordi Hereu, the former mayor of Barcelona, told reporters that while the demonstrators' actions were reprehensible, the incident was exaggerated by the international media.

Anti-tourism activists have increasingly staged protests in Barcelona and other seaside towns like Palma de Mallorca or Malaga, citing that visitors drive up housing costs, making it unaffordable for residents to live in city centers. Hereu emphasized the need for tourism sector regulation and diversification to make it more sustainable. Redistributing profits and improving the quality of jobs in tourism would help address opponents' concerns, he added.

The protests were “crossing red lines,” said Jose Luis Zoreda, vice-president of tourism lobby Exceltur, which blames insufficient regulation of holiday rentals for tensions. Exceltur reported that tourists staying in Spanish holiday homes increased by 24% in the second quarter of this year, while only 11% more stayed in hotels. Critics argue this disparity further exacerbates Spain's housing crisis.

The situation may escalate during the peak summer season, as the ministry projects tourist arrivals to Spain will rise by 13% year-on-year between July and September. Foreign tourists spent 20% more than last year in the second quarter, driven by higher demand from German, British, and U.S. visitors, according to Exceltur data released on Thursday.

Conversely, domestic tourists spent just 6% more. The Assembly of Neighbourhoods for Tourism Degrowth platform, organizing the protest in Barcelona, called for higher tourism taxes, reducing the number of cruise terminals, and capping short-term tourist accommodations in its manifesto.

Barcelona's mayor announced last month the city will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpected move aimed at curbing soaring housing costs and making the city more livable for residents. Similar pressures are seen in Portugal, where protesters in Lisbon are seeking a referendum to restrict short-term holiday rentals.