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Rise in tourism in Barcelona sees return of old problems
Ken Browne in Barcelona
Europe;Spain
02:39

From visiting La Sagrada Familia to going to the beach, and from doing a tour of Barcelona Football Club to sampling Spanish food, there are plenty of reasons to visit Barcelona.

Over eight million people visit the city every year.

Its tourism numbers are at 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels and businesses are booming once more, but the great return has also led to some old problems.

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Soaring rent and house prices

People in the local communities like El Raval in downtown Barcelona, say they are suffering from soaring rents, impossibly high house prices, noise and street pollution, all of which are forcing many to move out.

"The vulture funds have come in and bought entire buildings to convert them into tourist apartments. Many neighbors here have had to move out," Antonio Martinez, the President of the El Raval Neighbors Association, told CGTN.

He has been living there for 65 years and the issue is close to home for him.

"My daughter used to live in an apartment that cost €750 ($780) a month to rent, then when the contract came up for renewal the landlord suddenly asked for €1400 ($1450)," Martinez said.

"She couldn't afford that so now she's back living with me, with her daughter."

 

Barcelona's tourism numbers are at 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels and businesses have been benefiting from the increase. /CGTN
Barcelona's tourism numbers are at 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels and businesses have been benefiting from the increase. /CGTN

Barcelona's tourism numbers are at 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels and businesses have been benefiting from the increase. /CGTN

Gentrification pushes locals out

Barcelona's story is similar to that of many major cities around the world, where gentrification and tourist rental platforms have been shrinking the housing stock for the local population.

Young people in these cities are among the worst affected.

"Renting here is really difficult," says 20-year-old Naim Latreche. "Particularly for young people like us. We work but to live in this neighborhood is really tough."

Latreche says he doubts he will ever be able to live in this barrio (local district).

"Tourists are welcome here, but the government should help out young people too," he says.

Short-stay rental platforms

"Barcelona was first to regulate short-stay platforms like AirBnB," Javier Marce, Barcelona Councillor for Tourism and Creative Industries, highlights the strict regulation of tourist accommodation in the city. 

Part of Barcelona's charm is also one of its biggest problems - with the beach on one side and the mountains on the other, there is nowhere for it to expand.

"In Barcelona it isn't possible to build any new hotels, and no new licences for tourist apartments have been given out in eight years,” adds Marce.

"There have been 20,000 apartment inspections leading to over 2,500 sanctions and there are around 500 known illegal tourist apartments in operation every year, a very small number by international standards."

With tourism bringing in over $2 billion a year to the wider Barcelona region, it is a huge economic success story, but at the expense of some local communities who are being pushed out.

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