A Brit has visited the Spanish city of Barcelona, which has seen a huge rise in protests from local residents against overtourism and has slapped stickers all over the city saying ‘tourists go home’
A YouTube travel vlogger has been left stunned after a visit to the Spanish hotspot of Barcelona, a city where local residents have escalated their protests against waves of tourists.
Ben Morris, a well-known digital nomad, touched down in the bustling streets of Barcelona only to find the tension between visitors and locals had reached boiling point.
Residents fed up with overcrowding have recently taken to squirting water pistols at unwelcome guests and slapping ‘tourists go home’ stickers across the cityscape. Ben shared his experience on his channel, recounting how he felt distinctly unwelcomed as a holidaymaker.
He expressed: “I felt the locals were treating me differently as a tourist to the other locals.”
Ben recalled being seated away from prying eyes: “I went to a local tapas restaurant, there were loads of free tables in the front of the window where it’s nice and light and a nice place to sit.”
Yet, he found himself relegated: “Myself and another couple of tourists got put on a table in the back of the restaurant in a dark area.”, reports the Express.
This incident comes off the back of severe expressions of discontent in June, when inflamed residents drenched tourists with water pistols, explicitly telling them to leave. A rally against the influx of tourists saw about 2,800 demonstrators hit the streets, bearing banners saying “Tourists go home,” as they pleaded for an alternative economic strategy that would slash tourist numbers in the capital city of Catalonia.
The protestors’ anger spilled over onto tourists dining out, leaving them soaked as chants like “Tourists out of our neighbourhood,” echoed through popular areas.
Ben shared his own theory on why tourists might not be that popular with some of the locals. He said: “The price of hotels in the city is part of the reason why locals want us tourists to f*** off basically, which is fair enough.
“But I don’t think people are going to stop coming to Barcelona anytime soon.
“It’s a strange feeling to be in a city where you know a lot of the locals don’t want you there.
“It’s clear to see when you go to Barcelona, this place is full of tourists. Almost every street you go down there are tourists everywhere, especially around the city centre.”
In October, crowds of angered locals marched through the city of Barcelona after its officials decided to host the Americas Cup yacht race. Furious residents said that the race would bring more tourists to the already overcrowded city — which sees over 12 million visitors annually.
Protests have swept across Spain throughout 2024, following an increase in the number of tourists visiting the country. Consequently, many parts of Spain have developed a housing crisis due to the amount of homes now being used for the holiday rental market.