The demonstrators and residents are pushing tourism in Barcelona

When the demonstrators walked across Barcelona on Sunday, they shouted at the tourists who were photographing them “to return home!”

The couples sitting in the street cafes got water pistols and a luxury clothing store was affixed with posters announcing tourists who closed themselves inside.

Tourism is very important for Spain and Barcelona is a higher destination for visitors. But the crowds grow very quickly that many local population complain that they are pressed from their cities.

Here in common places throughout southern Europe, the population is declining.

“We cannot live in this city. The rents are very high because of BNBS and also expatriates who come and live here for the weather,” Marina explained, carrying her sign with the crowd gathering.

Your Airbnb has announced that it is used to be my home.

Other signs called for a ban on giant cruise ships that accumulated here, with one announcement that excess tourism “kills” the city.

“Our goal is not to stop tourism, because it is also good, but getting it at a normal rate,” said Marina.

The demonstrators have ended about one of the largest attractions in Barcelona, ​​which is the Church of Sagarada Familia, which was designed by the Catalan architect, Godi.

Sea, Sun, SEA and SEA attracted more than 15 million visitors to the city last year, nearly ten times the local population. No wonder she feels pressure.

“We are not against individual tourists, but rather to how we manage this,” said Elena, a young marine biologist.

“Young people cannot live here or even ordinary things like coffee that are all really expensive for our salaries.”

Not only young people who are struggling.

In 80 years, Baby View has been evacuated from her home nearly a decade, in the Shahir neighborhood. She believes that the owner wants to earn a rent more than the retired can pay.

Pepi is now in a hostel, searching for a more suitable place, but the prices have risen about 70 % since the last time I rented it.

“I can’t find anything – and there is no support. I feel I don’t have protection and this is annoying,” she says, weak and tends a stick. “There are only tourist apartments now, but we need a place to live in!”

In some areas of the city, all locals such as Bibi were already pushed.

But on a narrow street of the Gothic neighborhood, in the heart of Barcelona’s tourist, Joan Alvarez is fighting to stick to the apartment that his family rented for 25 years, at a price that he can bear.

The property owner ended the contract, but Joan refuses to leave.

Most of the apartments in its building were already divided into individual rooms to bring more rent.

Joan’s small oasis, with tiled floors and a terrace heading towards the cathedral, is one of the few that is still intact.

“It is not only about money, but the principle,” explains, the cats that are exposed to plants preserved with a bowl while speaking. “This is the center of Barcelona and there is no population of us. It should not be like this.”

“Housing should not be a big job. Yes, this is its property, but it is my home.”

Under the pressure from the protests, Barcelona authorities have already taken the radical step of announcing a full ban on short -term rents for tourists from 2028.

10,000 owner will lose tourist housing.

But Jesus Perida, who owns a famous tourist apartment that is not far from Sarrada Familia, believes this is the wrong response.

“They stopped providing new licenses 10 years ago, but the rents are still rising. How do we blame? We are just an easy enemy,” insists.

The management of the apartments is his job, and the provision of income for himself and his wife. “Now we have anxiety.”

Jesus believes that the “Bedouin” workers who move from another place in Europe are the ones who raise the rents, rather than tourists. “They earn and pay more. You can’t stop it.”

He argues that tourist apartments, such as his help, spread crowds, and criticism, to other areas of the city. Without tourism, it is believed that Barcelona will have a “existential crisis” – it represents up to 15 % of GDP in Spain as a whole.

If his tourist license is lost, Jesus will not face local tenants in any case: it means that the price price is a long -term rental that is barely profitable, so he plans to sell each of the apartments.

The protest in Barcelona was crowned on the occasions of “You are all the ghiris!” Local colloquial for foreigners – and an explosion of fireworks. Red smoke rose in front of the ranks of police officers who prevent all roads to Sagrada Familia.

Shortly before, the crowd targeted a crowded hotel, kicked in the hallway. It is clear that tourists inside, including children, have been shaken.

There were similar protests elsewhere in Spain and more crowds in Portugal and Italy: not huge, but loud and authorized.

Fears are the same and there is no consensus on the best way to address this. But Spain expects more tourists this summer more than ever.

Reporting the reporting of Esperanza Escibano and Bruno Boelpob