Barcelona Plans to Ban Holiday Apartment Tourism Rentals

Mass tourism continues to grow each year in one of Europe's most visited countries, and it is becoming a problem for locals. As short-term rentals increase, as they always do, during summertime, a new issue has arisen across Spain, and citizens are not happy about it.

Due to more and more tourists flocking to see Spain's unique, historic atmosphere, the affordability of housing in the area has taken a downturn. Because of the large number of people coming into the country, housing is extremely expensive right now, sparking protests from citizens in larger cities like Barcelona and Madrid. In less-populated, more environment-focused regions like the Canary Islands, locals are holding huge protests over increased construction. More hotels and homes in areas that still belong to nature are angering citizens, as it is encroaching upon the unique ecology of the region.

And it isn't just Spain. Cities all over the world are struggling with overtourism, and they are all testing new solutions to the problem. Bali, the Galapagos Islands, Valencia, Manchester, Thailand, and Iceland are implementing tourism taxes, and Japan is building a screen to prevent selfie-hungry tourists from swarming one location with a beautiful view of Mount Fuji. Venice is testing an entry fee, planning to charge $5 extra for tourists who only stay one night, and they are already charging tourists $105-$210 for sitting or lying on monuments, bridges, steps or walkways. Tourists are also fined for eating or drinking on the ground, walking around in swimming clothes, and swimming in canals. Borobudur in Indonesia, Machu Picchu, beaches in Sardinia, and the Acropolis have all starting limiting the number of tourists that can enter per day. Amsterdam, a city that received 20 million visitors last year, is banning new hotel construction and limiting how many cruise ships can enter each year (starting 2026).

Many cities have been forced to reduce their fees and fines, though, as tourist numbers getting too low has been an issue in locations like Bhutan, who have reduced their original fee of $200 per day twice since 2022. The need is to find a perfect balance between overtourism and zero tourism.

However, Barcelona has taken a different approach. After the country saw over 12 million visitors in 2023, compared to its population of just 1.7 million, it became clear that mass tourism had become a problem there, too.

Protests erupted over sky-high home prices due to all of the holiday homes being purchased, with over 3,000 citizens marching down the streets carrying signs like "Tourists Go Home," "Barcelona is not for sale," and "Barcelona: Tourists Welcome, Locals NOT Welcome." Tourists were even sprayed with water guns on the streets while eating at various restaurants as a nonviolent but attention-grabbing demonstration.

Unfortunately, the government is worried about the impact these protests could have on Barcelona's economy. Around 150,000 jobs depend on Barcelona's tourism economy, and it accounts for around 14% of the city's GDP.

To stop this, Barcelona have announced a plan to ban all short-term rentals in the city starting November 2028. Goodbye, Airbnb. On the other hand, they have to find the perfect balance as they phase the short-term rentals out completely, because a Barcelona without tourism is not Barcelona anymore. If there is no tourism, then the residents will begin to leave, spelling doom and gloom for the city, but if there is too much tourism, then residents will be unhappy and continue to protest.