Mass tourism is not a new problem in Barcelona – protests against it have been going on for years. However, the approach that Mayor Jaume Collboni has now presented to journalists is new. In the fight against the housing shortage, Barcelona wants to abolish the rental of holiday apartments by the end of 2028. “From 2029, there will no longer be holiday apartments in the city of Barcelona as we know them today,” said Collboni. The high number of visitors is driving up rental prices in Barcelona and fueling the housing shortage because tourist accommodation is often more financially worthwhile for landlords than a long-term rental agreement.
With the new measure, all the apartments that are currently legally rented to tourists for short-term stays will be available for use by residents of the metropolis in northeastern Spain, explained Collboni. “And that will allow us to bring 10,000 accommodations onto the rental or sales market.” That will be “the equivalent of building 10,000 apartments.”
Rent prices have risen by almost 70 percent in ten years
The mayor pointed out that rental prices in the Catalan capital have risen by almost 70 percent and purchase prices by around 40 percent in the last ten years. The city administration is therefore forced to take drastic measures by decree to guarantee access to affordable housing. The existing licenses will not be renewed after they expire.
“We cannot allow the majority of young people who want to leave their parents’ home to be forced to leave Barcelona,” said the socialist politician. This measure will not end the housing shortage overnight. “These problems take time. But with this measure we are marking a turning point.”
Dissatisfaction with mass tourism is also growing in other tourist hotspots. Major problems have also recently been seen on Mallorca and the Canary Islands. There, the increasing number of visitors is also blamed for environmental destruction, traffic jams, overcrowding, price increases and water shortages, as well as for the overloading of the health sector and waste disposal.