Major city launches harsh tourist crackdown as locals revolt over massive crowds

As European destinations proceed their crackdown connected overtourism, a fashionable metropolis has declared, "Not 1 tourer more."

Barcelona, Spain, has emerged arsenic 1 of Europe’s astir forceful opponents of wide tourism successful caller years. Now, the commissioner for sustainable tourism, José Antonio Donaire, is doubling down connected the city's efforts to forestall overcrowding.

Cruise passengers visiting Barcelona for little than 12 hours could wage €30, oregon astir $35, successful combined taxes, according to Cruise Industry News.

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After a July 15 committee meeting, Barcelona moved to question the maximum €24, oregon astir $27, taxation connected cruise visitors staying nether 12 hours, the outlet reported.

The projected magnitude would triple the €8, oregon astir $9, municipal complaint antecedently planned. 

An anti-tourism placard is seen during 1 of the demonstrations successful Barcelona against overtourism and the impacts it has connected residents.  (Paco Freire/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

"Barcelona began rethinking tourism with innovative measures similar the moratorium connected caller edifice operation backmost successful 2017 … galore of the measures volition instrumentality clip earlier they person an impact. But the connection of the metropolis present is: Not 1 tourer more," Donaire precocious told The New York Times successful an interview.

Catalonia, the northeastern portion wherever Barcelona is located, attracted immoderate 20.1 cardinal tourists, 0.6% much than successful 2024, according to The Associated Press (AP).

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Rising lodging prices, overwhelmed nationalist transport and a flood of tourists successful historical districts person angered locals, according to Reuters. 

But thing has been much irksome to residents than the monolithic overcrowding, the Times reported.

Barcelona, Spain is enacting strict policies to combat overtourism. (iStock)

In May, Barcelona politician Jaume Collboni said helium wants cruise passengers to wage up to $9.30 (8 euros) per night, a 100% summation from the existent $4.65 complaint (4 euros).

The quality was reported by El País, Spain's insubstantial of record, aft Collboni appeared connected the section web Betevé.

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"We don’t privation to turn more. We privation the tourists that the metropolis already has. There were 15.7 cardinal tourists successful the metropolis successful 2025 — that’s the threshold. Sixteen cardinal is the maximum," Donaire told the Times.

Starting April 1, Barcelona astir doubled its edifice impermanent tax, hiking it from $5-$9 to $10-$17 per person, per night, Fox News Digital antecedently reported.

Barcelona's world-renowned architecture and arts country marque it a fashionable European getaway. (iStock)

Barcelona citizens held a ample protestation past summer, with immoderate adjacent spraying tourists with h2o guns, Fox News Digital antecedently reported — arsenic happened successful 2024 arsenic well. 

Demonstrators marched with signs saying, "One much tourist, 1 little resident," and "Tourist spell home." The demonstrators are demanding a reworking of their section economy.

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Andreu Martínez of Spain humorously said successful July 2024 that the usage of squirt guns was to annoy the tourists a bit.

"Barcelona has been handed to the tourists," said Martínez. "This is simply a combat to springiness Barcelona backmost to its residents." 

Spain is 1 of the astir visited countries successful the satellite — and Barcelona's tourism keeps growing. (iStock)

He said his rent had risen implicit 30%, with apartments successful his vicinity continually being rented retired for short-term abrogation usage instead.

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Donaire told the Times the caller rules are not anti-tourist; rather, they're a mode to pull divers tourer groups. 

They're funny successful attracting visitors who are determination for concern oregon taste attractions, helium said.

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"It’s important to america that immoderate nonmigratory tin bargain a loaf of bread, a publication oregon a screw successful their neighborhood," helium said. 

"We besides judge that tourists volition beryllium much funny successful a metropolis wherever municipality abstraction isn’t wholly souvenirs, telephone cases and kebabs."

Andrea Margolis and Ashley J. DiMella, some of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.