Spaniards packing water pistols blame impact of mass tourism for housing crunch
- On Sunday, June 15, 2025, around a thousand people protested against overtourism in Barcelona, marching from a luxury shopping boulevard toward La Sagrada Familia church.
- The protest was driven by rising housing costs and the belief that mass tourism and short-term rentals are displacing locals and eroding the city’s character.
- Among the protesters, a small number armed with water pistols sprayed tourists and hostel staff while chanting and displaying homemade signs with messages opposing the growth of tourism at the expense of local residents.
- Organizer Daniel Pardo indicated that the return of water pistols at the protest seems probable, while local resident Txema Escorsa expressed uncertainty about her future amid rising rent prices.
- The demonstration underscores rising tensions as Spain welcomed an unprecedented number of international tourists in 2024, while challenges with housing affordability escalate and officials move to tighten regulations on short-term rental properties.
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Here are Spain’s new short-term rental rules
Protesters used water guns against unsuspecting tourists in Barcelona and in Mallorca as they marched to demand a redesign of an economic model they believe is fueling a housing crunch and erasing the character of their hometowns. Their demonstration could indicate that a new rule that came into effect on April 3rd, forcing homeowners across Spain to obtain consent from at least 60 per cent of… Source
The inhabitants who use them fear that an excessive influx of visitors will drive them out of their neighbourhoods.
In Barcelona and Majorca, protesters denounced overtourism, which, according to them, worsens the housing crisis and changes their cities.
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