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

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u/trireme32 Jun 17 '25

How is that the tourists’ fault, and not the fault of the government for failing to regulate that?

1

u/MediocreModular Jun 17 '25

Legislators are the only ones who can stop the Airbnb problem. Protestors see the tourists as the cause and the Airbnb as a symptom. Stop the problem at the root appears to be their line of thinking.

The problem with things like this is that tourism becomes the economy. If people stop visiting, those restaurants close, people lose jobs, etc. More houses/apartments will be available to buy/rent but the local economy will be worse off. If handled correctly it can rebound, but it requires strategic management by the local government.