Barcelona Targets 16 Million Tourists With 'Not One Tourist More' Push

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 10

José Antonio Donaire, Barcelona's new sustainable tourism commissioner, said the city's message is now "not one tourist more" as it seeks to reverse overtourism rather than merely contain it.
Nearly 16 million visitors a year have strained housing, crowded public transport and reshaped areas such as Boqueria market, where tourist-focused stalls have displaced everyday shopping for many locals.
Donaire said his brief is to restore residential life in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, including making Boqueria a market Barcelonans want to use again.
The post, created last year, extends a policy drive that began nearly a decade ago with steps such as a 2017 hotel-building moratorium, a tourist accommodation tax and a vacation-rental ban due in 2028.