Locals ramp up 'war' on low-cost tourism
Barcelona has seen a second night of street protests against so-called 'drunken tourism' and illegal apartment rental despite authorities announcing they will clamp down on unregistered holiday apartments "by the end of the year".
Around 400 neighbours of the seaside neighbourhood of Barceloneta took to the streets on Thursday night to demand an end to the unruly behaviour of tourists staying in unregistered apartments.
“We want our neighbourhood to be for the locals not for low-cost tourism,” a spokesperson for the movement told Catalan daily La Vanguardia.
Molta gent creuant la #Barceloneta a crits de "No volem pisos turístics" i "Este barri no se vende" pic.twitter.com/nBtcNiDxtx
— João França (@jotaemi) August 21, 2014
Bottom right photo reads "We don't want drunken guiris (slang word in Spanish for foreigners)".
Up to 100 locals took part in a spontaneous street demo on Tuesday night, cutting off traffic, shouting out slogans against tourists and harassing holiday apartment letting agents.
They blame the latter for the problem as holiday apartments are rented out cheaply to young party-seeking tourists without any consideration for locals living in an otherwise tranquil residential area.
Comencem assemblea! "No luchamos por turismo borrachera, luchamos por supresión pisos turísticos!" #Barceloneta pic.twitter.com/h6yEAFuftp
— Gala Pin (@galapita) August 21, 2014
"We're not fighting drunken tourism, we're fighting to close down tourist apartments"
Barceloneta residents have also criticized authorities for not addressing the alcohol-fuelled noise, filth and reckless behaviour in the central Barcelona district, an ever-growing problem as the Catalan capital’s tourism industry continues to boom.
Barcelona Town Hall will hold a press conference on Friday to explain how they plan to combat the issue of unregistered holiday apartments, which currently outnumber officially approved rental accommodation by seven to one.
But Barceloneta locals, who have little faith that the problem will be resolved, have announced they will hold yet another protest at 6pm on Saturday.
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Around 400 neighbours of the seaside neighbourhood of Barceloneta took to the streets on Thursday night to demand an end to the unruly behaviour of tourists staying in unregistered apartments.
“We want our neighbourhood to be for the locals not for low-cost tourism,” a spokesperson for the movement told Catalan daily La Vanguardia.
Molta gent creuant la #Barceloneta a crits de "No volem pisos turístics" i "Este barri no se vende" pic.twitter.com/nBtcNiDxtx
— João França (@jotaemi) August 21, 2014 Bottom right photo reads "We don't want drunken guiris (slang word in Spanish for foreigners)".
Up to 100 locals took part in a spontaneous street demo on Tuesday night, cutting off traffic, shouting out slogans against tourists and harassing holiday apartment letting agents.
They blame the latter for the problem as holiday apartments are rented out cheaply to young party-seeking tourists without any consideration for locals living in an otherwise tranquil residential area.
Comencem assemblea! "No luchamos por turismo borrachera, luchamos por supresión pisos turísticos!" #Barceloneta pic.twitter.com/h6yEAFuftp
— Gala Pin (@galapita) August 21, 2014 "We're not fighting drunken tourism, we're fighting to close down tourist apartments"
Barceloneta residents have also criticized authorities for not addressing the alcohol-fuelled noise, filth and reckless behaviour in the central Barcelona district, an ever-growing problem as the Catalan capital’s tourism industry continues to boom.
Barcelona Town Hall will hold a press conference on Friday to explain how they plan to combat the issue of unregistered holiday apartments, which currently outnumber officially approved rental accommodation by seven to one.
But Barceloneta locals, who have little faith that the problem will be resolved, have announced they will hold yet another protest at 6pm on Saturday.
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