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Barcelona: a victim of its own tourism success

Barcelona is one of the world's most exciting places but locals say tourists are crowding out the local way of life. Today, we look into why Barcelona and certain other global destinations are moving to put limits on the number of tourists checking in each year.
CBC Radio ·
Barcelona was a tourism success story. Now it might be a victim of its own popularity and rolling up its welcome mat. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
La Boqueria in Barcelona. (Ulf Liljankoski, Flickr cc)

In the heart of Barcelona - just off its main boulevard - is one of the most famous food markets in the world. La Boqueria is the mother of all grocery stores. Bursting with fresh produce ... food carts lined up like dominos. 

More than 7.6 million tourists crush into the city of Barcelona every year, and that number continues to go up. ( David Ramos/Getty Images)

More than seven million tourists crush into Barcelona every year for a taste of the city's rich Catalan culture. But locals say those crowds are making the city unlivable. 

Barcelona residents protest against mass tourism associated with what is known as a binge tourism and tourist homes. (Jordi Boixareu, Flickr cc)

There have been rallies and sit-ins. And now, Barcelona's mayor-elect Ada Colau is taking a hardline - promising to suspend the approval of new hotel rooms and short-term rentals for tourists.    

Park Güell began to be built in 1900. Locals worry Barcelona will soon be a city without Barcelonians, just as Venice is losing Venetians. (David Blaikie, Flickr cc)

A few subway stops north is Park Güell.  It's one of Barcelona's busiest tourist draws ... filled with fairytale-like homes designed by architect Antonio Gaudi. 

Gabriel Picart is an artist, and he lives across from the park. We reached him at home.
 

Park Güell bench. Locals worry Barcelona will soon be a city without Barcelonians, just as Venice is losing Venetians. (john.purvis, Flickr cc)

Cities around the world budget millions every year in the hopes of attracting tourists... and their millions. But as we've been hearing, there are certain hot spots that have gotten too hot for the locals to handle. 

Elizabeth Becker is the author of "Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism." She's also a former NYT correspondent. Elizabeth Becker was in Washington, D.C.
 

What do you think of some cities turning tourists away?  Did you have any favourite vacation spots that have been overrun by tourists?  Is there anyplace -- here in Canada, or abroad -- that you'd like to see put some limits on tourism?     

Send us an email. Find us on Facebook, or tweet us @TheCurrentCBC.

This segment was produced by The Current's Vanessa Greco.
 

RELATED LINKS

The Risks and Rewards of the Global Travel Industry - Elizabeth Becker, World Politics Review

Barcelona's Mayor to Tourists: Go Away - Bloomberg

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