BARCELONA: Activists against overtourism are planning protests across Spain, Portugal and Italy on Sunday, with one group urging people to bring water pistols to the demonstration in Barcelona.

Anger has been growing in southern Europe against what protesters say are excessive levels of tourism that they complain are forcing locals out of affordable accommodation, pushing up living costs and clogging up city centres.

International travel spending in Europe is expected to rise by 11% to $838 billion this year, with Spain and France among the countries set to receive record numbers of tourists.

Protests are planned in Barcelona and seven other Spanish cities, including Granada, Palma and Ibiza; Portugal’s capital Lisbon; and the Italian cities of Venice, Genova, Palermo, Milan and Naples, according to announcements issued by several of the organising groups.

Organisers, some of whom dismiss the counterargument that tourism brings jobs and prosperity, told Reuters that they wanted to build on scattered protests across Spain last year with the coordinated day of action.

They are joining forces with groups in Portugal and Italy under the umbrella of the SET alliance — Sud d’Europa contra la Turistitzaci, or Southern Europe against Overtourism, a spoke­sperson for Barcelona’s Neighb­ourhoods Assembly for Tourism Degrowth said.

Some 26 million tourists swelled Barcelona’s 1.6-million population in 2024. A survey conducted by Barcelona last year showed that 31% of residents considered tourism to be damaging, the highest figure on record.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025