In Barcelona and Mallorca, demonstrators wielded water guns against unsuspecting tourists as part of a protest demanding changes to an economic model they argue is aggravating a housing crisis and transforming their cities. These coordinated protests swept across southern Europe’s major tourist hubs on Sunday, highlighting growing discontent with overtourism.
While thousands joined the demonstration in Mallorca’s capital, Palma, smaller groups did the same in other Spanish cities, as well as Venice, Italy, and Portugal’s Lisbon. Andreu Martínez, a local of Barcelona, amused himself by spraying tourists at a café. “Barcelona belongs to tourists now. We’re trying to reclaim it for the residents,” he explained.
Martínez, an administrative assistant, is among numerous inhabitants who feel that tourism has overtaken their city of 1.7 million residents. Last year, Barcelona welcomed 15.5 million visitors. He attributes a steep 30% increase in his rent to tourist-driven demand for short-term rentals, also lamenting the proliferation of tourist-centric businesses, from souvenir shops to food outlets, over traditional stores.
In Palma, about 5,000 participants armed with water guns chanted slogans as they expressed frustration with skyrocketing real estate prices. Despite the water gun attacks, tourists seemed to take the act in good spirits. Other Spanish cities such as Granada, San Sebastián, and Ibiza saw hundreds join similar protests.
In Venice, a city struggling with its own tourism-related challenges, protestors displayed banners urging a halt to the construction of new hotel accommodations. The demonstration took place near new buildings, in symbolic reference to a last resident’s removal from the city center the previous year.
In Barcelona, demonstrators blew whistles and carried signs proclaiming, “One more tourist, one less resident.” Stickers declaring “Citizen Self-Defense” and “Tourist Go Home,” complete with water gun illustrations, adorned hotel and hostel doors. Tensions rose at a hostel entrance when protesters unleashed their water guns on workers, who responded antagonistically.
American tourists Wanda and Bill Dorozenski, who were caught in the excitement, found the water sprays a refreshing break from the heat. Wanda expressed understanding, noting that the protesters’ concerns are legitimate and personal.
The protests reflect a wider struggle across cities dealing with increased numbers of tourists and the effects of the rise in short-term rentals like Airbnb. Spain, a top tourism destination, recorded 94 million visitors in 2024 alone. In response, protests have grown, often incorporating anti-Airbnb sentiment into the broader housing crisis discourse.
Spanish authorities are striving to balance the need to address public discontent with preserving an industry that constitutes 12% of the GDP. Recent government actions included mandating Airbnb’s removal of nearly 66,000 non-compliant holiday rentals and a bold plan by Barcelona’s town hall to eliminate 10,000 short-term rental licenses by 2028.
Despite being pinpointed by officials and citizens, the short-term rental sector argues against unfair scapegoating. Airbnb’s Spain and Portugal head, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, believes shortcomings in housing and tourism policies have been long-standing, spanning over decades, and are not solely the fault of platforms like Airbnb.
However, community sentiment against such services persists, as evidenced by citizens like Txema Escorsa, a teacher who opposes Airbnb not just at home but also avoids using the platform globally as a principle against its impact on housing availability. The tension between tourism benefits and resident needs remains a complex challenge for Spanish cities.