Barcelona’s Battle with Overtourism: Environmental Strain and Sustainable Solutions
- dorottyanvisionfac
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 19
We can all agree on the fact that Barcelona is one of the most popular and most visited cities, not just in Europe but worldwide. It’s a perfect blend of culture, architecture, and beach life. Visitors can enjoy its very unique atmosphere, delicious cuisine, and rich history.
Of course, tourists bring significant revenue to the city. In 2023, for example, more than 12 million tourists arrived, generating 9.6 billion euros (Goodman, 2025).
However, this success comes with challenges for citizens and disadvantages for the environment.
For instance, the city suffers from overcrowding, poor waste management, and noise pollution, just to mention a few problems.
Barcelona’s Overtourism Consequences
Firstly, urban and air travel have significantly increased. It contributes to deteriorating air quality and the emission of greenhouse gases. As a result, the city struggles to meet EU climate targets.
Another issue is waste management because during peak tourist season, unfortunately, it’s common to see overflowing bins and streets littered with trash. This is mainly because the city’s waste system was clearly designed to meet the needs of local residents.
This also leads to problems with water consumption as well. Tourists often use significantly more water, so they are placing pressure on areas that already experience occasional water shortages. Moreover, various protected natural areas are also suffering from overuse, which harms the local ecosystems.
In addition, the housing shortage has also emerged significantly due to the rise and penetration of short-term rentals. Platforms like Airbnb have significantly driven up rental prices. Naturally, this has sparked and continues to spark protests from local residents, understandably. You can see graffiti on city walls: “Tourists go home!” and similar messages. Demonstrations and anti-tourism initiatives have taken shape in response from the locals.
How are they addressing it?
To address the problem, various measures have been introduced by the city council. For instance, they are limiting the number of short-term rental licenses mentioned earlier. In addition, taxes on tourists have been increased. And the revenue generated from these taxes is allocated to community projects and infrastructure development.
Furthermore, several awareness campaigns have been launched, such as “Barcelona Respects You”. This encourages visitors to behave responsibly during their stay and be more careful. Other measures are promoting tourism during the off-season. This helps to spread out the number of visitors and make tourist flows more balanced throughout the year.
What can tourists do?
The habits of tourists are driving overtourism in Barcelona. If you are planning to visit the city, the best thing to do is to visit outside of the - very hot and popular - summer months, which are from May to September, as well as Easter.
The Catalan coast can be beautifully sunny in winter as well. The reception you’ll receive will be warmer, once the city quietens down, on the other hand.
Since it is also a weekend break destination, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the busiest days. Try visiting from Monday to Wednesday if you can. Furthermore, stay for more than a day, and do some proper research to get away from the usual sightseeing. Local guides are invaluable for this; they can take you off the main drags and into local neighbourhoods. And as a bonus, you won’t be paying tourist prices, and the food and entertainment will be more authentic.
It is important to stay in registered, verified accommodation because illegal lets are not subject to the small tourist tax (a couple of euros a night) and contribute to the rising cost of rent in Barcelona.
Furthermore, make sure your actions are respectful toward people. Try to use the local expressions and vocabulary.
Conclusion
There are some visible differences in the case of the new policies that the city has implemented so far. For example, by limiting short-term rentals, neighborhoods are slowly becoming more livable and quieter again. Tourist taxes are also well spent because waste management is improving constantly. That’s why locals are noticing small but positive changes, and it is the main point.
Battling with overtourism can be a reminder for all of us. Even the most stunning and breathtaking locations need to find the perfect balance between preserving the healthy environment and embracing millions of tourists during the year. And everybody, tourists and locals, is responsible for making the city livable.
And finally, the city’s government is trying to make efforts to address such issues; visitors also have to adapt to the rules, and can help with their choices.
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