Around 600 people participated in the Barcelona protest (Photo: Twitter/ABDT)
In coordinated protests against overtourism on Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets across southern Europe with the largest demonstrations unfolding at Barcelona in Spain and similar rallies held in cities across Portugal and Italy.
The protests were organised by groups in various countries including Barcelona’s Neighbourhoods Assembly for Tourism Degrowth and the SET alliance – Sud d’Europa contra la Turistització, or Southern Europe against Overtourism, which highlights the growing frustration among locals over the impact of mass tourism on housing, cost of living and community life.
The organisers says that in Barcelona, demonstrators armed with water pistols targetted shop windows and set off smoke grenades, chanting slogans such as Your holidays, my misery and mass tourism kills the city. Protesters carried banners decrying the unchecked influx of visitors, which they argue is driving up housing prices and displacing long-term residents.
Some 120 groups, including housing rights advocates and environmental organisations, joined the march, voicing concerns about the planned expansion of El Prat airport, which could bring an additional 10 million tourists annually.
According to the organisers around 600 people participated in the Barcelona protest, though organisers claim the real number was higher, as similar scenes played out in Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Granada and other Spanish cities. Demonstrations also erupted in Lisbon, Venice, Genoa, Palermo, Milan and Naples, marking the first time such protests have been coordinated across the region.
The organisers adds that activists argue that overtourism is exacerbating a severe housing crisis, with the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas reporting that housing is now the top concern for Spanish citizens. In Barcelona alone, 26 million tourists visited in 2024, a figure that dwarfs the city’s population of 1.6 million. Spain as a whole received a record 94 million international visitors last year, making it the world’s second most visited country after France.
Protesters accuse local governments of political inaction, noting that none of the 13 proposals submitted to the Barcelona City Council after last year’s demonstrations have been implemented.
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