Minister criticizes use of water pistol against tourists in Barcelona

Spain’s Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu has condemned the actions of a group of protesters who attacked tourists in Barcelona with water pistols over the weekend. He said the actions were contrary to traditional Spanish hospitality. The information comes from Reuters.

Hereu also said that while the protesters’ actions were condemnable, the incident was “exaggerated” by the international media. The minister served as mayor of Barcelona between 2006 and 2011.

The incident took place during a demonstration against the negative effects of the large influx of tourism in the Spanish city. In addition to using water guns, the protesters also displayed banners with messages such as “Tourists, go home”.

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Imagine traveling to Europe to spend your hard-earned money in their dying economy

And you end up getting sprayed with water guns by angry degrowth protesters pic.twitter.com/HllUVmOGzH

— @levelsio (@levelsio) July 7, 2024

The protests in Barcelona and other coastal cities such as Palma de Mallorca and Malaga reflect growing concerns about the impact of tourism on housing costs and the accessibility of central areas for local residents.

Protesters also argue that the profits generated by the presence of tourists are distributed unequally, increasing the social gap in the city. In 2023, the city welcomed around 26 million tourists, who spent around €12.75 billion.

To solve the “damage” caused, the participants of the act proposed 13 measures that seek to promote a new model of tourism in the city.

Among the proposals are the closure of cruise ship terminals, greater regulation of tourist accommodation and an end to public spending on tourism promotion.

In response to the demands, the mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni (left-wing Catalan Socialist Party), announced a series of measures to reduce the impact of tourists, such as increasing the fee charged for those who spend the night in the city to €4.00 and limiting the number of passengers on cruise ships.

The mayor also proposed eliminating short-term rental licenses for more than 10,000 apartments by 2028.