A radical new law has been approved by Barcelona’s city government to clamp down on massive tourism.
The regulations will cap the number of beds available in hotels and private rentals for short-term visitors through the creation of a special urban plan as one step to regulate tourist numbers.
Zones will be established with different allowances for the number of tourist beds in that area. This, it is hoped, will distribute tourist numbers more evenly across the city and reduce pressure on those neighbourhoods already densely populated.
It should also go some way in helping residents access housing which might otherwise have been given over to holiday rentals.
Last year, some 9 million people stayed in hotels and another 9 million rented holiday apartments. A further 12 million day-trippers were disgorged from cruise ships and public transportation.
There are currently 75,000 hotel beds in the city and around 100,000 beds in tourist flats, at least half of them not legally registered. Last year, Barcelona fine Airbnb and HomeAway €600,000 each for advertising unlicensed properties.
Permanent residents are somewhat divided over the increasing influx of visitors. Long-term renters are facing large hikes in rental prices while owners are finding new profitability in the increased demand.
Some 2,000 residents marched on Saturday to protest against the negative impact of so many tourists.
Zone One, which encompasses the historic Old Town, will not be allowed any new accommodation for tourists and no replacement accommodation will be allowed in the case of closures. Measures here are the most stringent.
In the outer zone on the city periphery, new tourist accommodation is to be permitted.
The regulations are due to be imposed in 2019.
Sections of the tourist industry have been critical.
