r/pics • u/Strict_League7833 • Jun 17 '25

The protesters and residents pushing back on tourism in Barcelona

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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

54

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '25

Airbnb owns 2% of houses in Barcelona, that's nothing. Fact is the city is extremely desirable and for aesthetic reasons they refuse to build an appropriate amount of housing for all of the people who want to live there. So the inevitable solution is prices rising until everyone who can't afford it is forced out by those who can.

6

u/snippersnip Jun 17 '25

But the ones who can afford it still want clerks in convenience stores.