Barcelona Tourism Faces Downturn Amidst Anti-Tourism โฃSentiment
Barcelona,Spain – A noticeable decline in tourist โnumbers is โคimpacting Barcelona,with recent reports and social media footage depictingโ unusually quiet streets in the popular spanish city. TikTok โขcreator LauraTravelvlogs, a Barcelona resident of two years, shared videos comparing current conditions to those of 2023, highlighting a significant drop in both visitor numbers and retail activity. She reports tourist โขlevelsโ are currently at their lowest point.
The shift comes following a series of anti-tourism protests across Spain, โขwith LauraTravelvlogs specifically noting aโ quieter city center during the summer โฃmonths due to tourists feeling unwelcome. Concerns are mounting over the potential economic consequences, with some commenters fearing business closures and job losses.Reports suggest a potential 40 percent fall in Spanish tourism, with some coastal areas described as “ghost cities.”
While some question the timing of the observations – with โฃsome residents reporting crowds as recently as March – broader reports corroborate a downturn. benidorm, another popular destination, has seen empty โcafes and sparsely populated beaches this summer, a rare โขoccurrence.
Industry leaders are voicing alarm. Miguel Pรฉrez-Marsรก, Chair ofโค the Night Entertainment Association, expressed worry that negative experiences will deter future visitors. Pedro Oliver, President โof the Spanish tour guide association,โค reported a 20 percent decrease in tour sales this summer.
“If we continue to bring up negative โnews thatโ impactsโ abroad,tourists will chooseโฃ otherโ countries โขfor a โฃvacation,” Oliver stated. The situation underscores a growing tension between the economic โbenefits of tourism and theโข concerns of residents regarding overcrowding and its impact on quality of life.