Tourists Sprayed With Water Guns By Protesters As European Anti-tourism Trend Grows

As European countries proceed to grapple pinch overtourism, immoderate citizens are taking a stand. 

Protesters gathered successful Barcelona and connected nan Spanish land of Mallorca connected Sunday to protestation against travelers to their state by spraying them pinch h2o guns, The Associated Press (AP) reported. 

Demonstrators marched pinch signs saying, "One much tourist, 1 little resident," and "Tourist Go Home." The demonstrators are demanding a reworking of their section economy.

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Spaniard Andreu Martínez humorously told nan AP that nan usage of nan squirt guns is to annoy nan visitors a bit.

"Barcelona has been handed to nan tourists. This is simply a conflict to springiness Barcelona backmost to its residents," said Martínez.

A protester is shown pinch a h2o weapon during a protestation against overtourism successful Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Pau Venteo)

He said his rent has risen complete 30%, pinch apartments successful his vicinity continually being rented retired for short-term vacations.

"Our lives, arsenic lifelong residents of Barcelona, are coming to an end," he said. "We are being pushed retired systematically."

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Martínez said galore accepted stores person been replaced by souvenir shops, bubble beverage shops and burger joints to meet nan request of tourists. 

In May, nan Spanish authorities ordered Airbnb to remove about 66,000 picnic rentals for violating section rules, AP reported.

Protesters march pinch signs arsenic residents declare their rents person accrued complete 30% owed to picnic rentals. (AP Photo/Pau Venteo)

Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, Airbnb’s wide head for Spain and Portugal, told AP that Airbnb is not responsible for overtourism.

"I deliberation a batch of our politicians person recovered an easy scapegoat to blasted for nan inefficiencies of their policies successful position of lodging and tourism complete nan past 10, 15, 20 years," said Rodríguez.

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Barcelona officials had planned to ban short-term tourist flat rentals by 2028, FOX Business antecedently reported. 

Short-term rentals successful Barcelona person been stagnant for years, remaining astatine astir 10,000 since 2014, according to figures from Barcelona’s City Hall. 

Spanish protesters march against overtourism successful Barcelona and Mallorca arsenic residents look rising rents and displacement. (AP Photo/Pau Venteo)

Barcelona metropolis information indicates astir 850,000 homes beryllium successful Barcelona, making nan 10,000 aliases truthful short-term rentals a fraction of full housing.

Popular cities crossed Europe held their ain tourism protests, pinch locals gathering successful Venice, Italy, and Lisbon, Portugal.

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Other international vacation destinations have implemented taxes successful an effort to curb tourism, Fox News Digital antecedently reported.

Greek officials, for example, are readying to enforce a $22 taxation connected visitors cruising to Santorini aliases Mykonos.

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Venice, Italy, introduced a pilot program in 2024 to complaint time trippers a $5.17 (5 euros) introduction interest and are now looking to double nan tax.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.