Popular European destination declares: 'Not one tourist more'

BARCELONA, Spain - As European destinations continue to push back against overtourism, Barcelona is taking an even tougher stance, with city officials embracing the message: "Not one tourist more."

Dig deeper:

The Spanish city has become one of Europe's leading examples of efforts to curb mass tourism. José Antonio Donaire, Barcelona's commissioner for sustainable tourism, said the city is committed to limiting visitor growth as it works to ease pressure on residents and infrastructure.

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According to Cruise Industry News, cruise passengers who spend fewer than 12 hours in Barcelona could soon face combined taxes of up to €30 (about $35). Following a July 15 committee meeting, city officials moved to pursue the maximum €24 (about $27) municipal tax for short-stay cruise visitors, tripling the previously proposed €8 (about $9) rate.

What they're saying:

"Barcelona began rethinking tourism with innovative measures like the moratorium on new hotel construction back in 2017. … Many of the measures will take time before they have an impact. But the message of the city now is, ‘Not one tourist more,’" Donaire told The New York Times.

The backstory:

Catalonia, the northeastern Spanish region that includes Barcelona, welcomed about 20.1 million tourists in 2025, a 0.6% increase from the previous year, according to The Associated Press. Reuters has reported that soaring housing costs, crowded public transportation and packed historic neighborhoods have fueled frustration among residents, while The New York Times said persistent overcrowding has become one of the city's biggest grievances.

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Earlier this year, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni proposed doubling the overnight tax paid by cruise passengers from €4 to €8 (about $4.65 to $9.30), according to El País, after discussing the plan on local television network Betevé.

"We don’t want to grow more. We want the tourists that the city already has. There were 15.7 million tourists in the city in 2025 — that’s the threshold. Sixteen million is the maximum," Donaire told The New York Times.

Barcelona has already increased tourism-related taxes. On April 1, the city nearly doubled its hotel guest tax, raising the nightly charge from roughly $5-$9 to $10-$17 per person, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting.

Why you should care:

Public frustration over tourism has also spilled into the streets. Last summer, thousands of residents protested in Barcelona, with some demonstrators spraying tourists with water guns in a symbolic act of defiance, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting.

Protesters carried signs reading, "One more tourist, one less resident," and "Tourist go home," calling for changes to an economy they believe has become overly dependent on tourism.

Local perspective:

"Barcelona has been handed to the tourists," resident Andreu Martínez said in July 2024, explaining that the water guns were intended to irritate visitors. "This is a fight to give Barcelona back to its residents."

Martínez also said his rent had increased by more than 30% as apartments in his neighborhood continued to be converted into short-term vacation rentals.

Despite the stricter measures, Donaire insisted the city's policies are not intended to discourage tourism altogether. Instead, he said Barcelona wants to attract visitors traveling for business, culture and other experiences that better align with residents' needs.

"It’s important to us that any resident can buy a loaf of bread, a book or a screw in their neighborhood," he said.

"We also believe that tourists will be more interested in a city where urban space isn’t entirely souvenirs, phone cases and kebabs."

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