Are tourists welcome in Barcelona?

Are tourists welcome in Barcelona?


Updated January 2025

Yes. Tourists are very welcome in Barcelona. More than welcome. Despite what you might read in the international press about "overtourism", tourist protests or tourists not being welcome in Barcelona, tourists are welcomed in Barcelona by a majority of the city's residents. Tourism is one of Spain's main business areas and creates employment for many families in Spain. Tourists bring smiles, joy and happiness which is always welcomed in Barcelona and in any city. So, you might see grafitti telling tourists to "go home" but these sentiments represent a very tiny minority of Barcelona residents.

Residents of Barcelona appreciate tourists because we are tourists too. Favourites tourist destinations for Barcelona residents are London, Rome, New York and Istanbul among many others. How can we visit these cities and then complain about tourists visiting our city.

Barcelona is fortunate to receive many tourists, but to Barcelona residents who feel there are too many, then remember not to blame tourists. Did tourists build the hotels? Did tourists close the old shops and open a Five Guys? Did tourists force you to rent rooms and apartments on AirBnB. No. We Spanish and Catalans did that ourselves. So don't blame tourists. Blame the politicians for allowing too many hotels, or blame yourselves for supporting Starbucks and other chain coffee shops instead of your traditional bars. If you want Barcelona to have fewer tourists, then Spain is a free country and you can vote for a party that want to regulate tourism. But don't blame tourists who are on trying to enjoy a well deserved vacation and who simple want to experience our city and culture.

So to the tourists, we say thank you. And remind you that if you can if you try to be a considerate, kind, thoughtful, polite and appreciative traveller who looks after Barcelona and this part of Spain while you are here, then you can call yourself a great tourist and will always be welcome. 

Thank you for visiting Barcelona.

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Last Updated on Saturday, 15 February 2025 10:00
 

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