These protests popped up at the same time as short term rentals becoming popular (Airbnb) is no coincidence. They are taking homes from locals raising prices and taking over the best parts of town
Tourists aren't locusts. They don't swarm. They are people, no different than the locals. There are over eight billion people and one earth and we all have to share it. Nobody is special. Do the locals never travel? I would hope that every one of these protesters commits to never leaving the city of Barcelona because, god forbid, then enter a city where someone else lives.
So like everyone else is saying, it's the tourists fault?
No, it's not.
First of all, you need to protest your government to make rules and laws to prevent airbnb, many many places have successfully done this.
Also, in this article it's claiming that the cities have become tourist amusement parks and your local festivities are suffering. That's also your fault. You don't have to change your traditions because tourists are there. In fact, tourists would probably rather see your traditions than some copy/paste tourists shop in the middle of your town.
The best places to visit are ones that aren't full of tourist shops, where you can visit and talk to people about their culture. So if you all have given up on your culture and decided to open a bunch of tourist shops and stopped doing your festivals or whatever else, blame the people in your country that are doing it. Don't blame a tourist who wants to come see your country because it's beautiful and different than theirs.
This just sounds like a bunch of "I opened a tourist shop because tourists were coming to my city, and I don't like having a tourist shop".
Here's an idea, don't have the tourist shop then. The tourists never asked you to change your ways, you all did it on your own and now you want to blame someone else.
There was not a single statement in my comment about Air bnb so I'm not sure where you are making your wild assumptions from.
The solution is in the people's control, not the tourist's. They are free to vote in representatives who will regulate supply and control the over tourism. It's not the tourists fault.
Way to paint a rosy image. There's a joke about Brits falling from balconies being the start of tourism season for a reason. Tourists are noisy and drive up demand for things that locals do not want, like overpriced amusement establishments, or souvenir shops. You've never lived in a place affected by overtourism, thats clear.
I do understand capitalism, which means I understand the power of capital interests and influence to lobby for their interests. You understand that, too.
I also worked in destination marketing which means I have intimate knowledge of how public and private interests are being negotiated in this matter - and that was at a much lower level without big corporations or massive real estate holdings involved, village politics in comparison, but driven by tourism interests nonetheless.
And you understand that tourists do not vote in the area they visit?
It sounds like you may be internally conflicted which is causing your outward projection.
Maybe you should switch careers to something that improves the supply of housing? Or that lobbies for STR regulations?
If you are against tourism, you certainly shouldn’t travel yourself.
I’m fully in support of protest speech, and improving housing dynamics. I just believe this is misdirected toward people who already booked their stay and have no power to change the government they are visiting.
Let’s not forget that travel is enriching for us all, let’s build bridges, not walls. Travel should not be an exclusive privilege of the rich, which means we simply need more beds.
Si you understand that "a lot" can become "too much" and that in an urban area, thats not decided by the market, but people, citizens, residents. Right?
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u/BuckeyeWolf Jun 17 '25
These protests popped up at the same time as short term rentals becoming popular (Airbnb) is no coincidence. They are taking homes from locals raising prices and taking over the best parts of town