Over Tourism in Barcelona: Impact on Local Residents and Sustainable Tourism Theory

This report discusses the impact of over tourism in Barcelona on local residents and the concept of sustainable tourism theory. It covers the reaction of local residents, actions taken by authorities, and suggestions for tourism management. The report also includes statistics and research studies to support the arguments.

Running Head: TOURISM MANAGEMENT
Tourism management
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Introduction
Barcelona is known as one of the most beautiful destination all around the world for spending
holidays. It is known for its beautiful architecture, climate and geographical outfits which attracts
the most tourism towards its side. It can be said that there are almost 1.6 million people who are
lucky enough to call this home because almost 32 million people visit this lace as tourist every
year which makes this place overcrowded (Masson and Petiot, 2009). The tourism overcrowd
can be defined in the form of words like in peak season if we move over head around to count
numbers are difficult, even finding way becomes very difficult. The tourism has become a prime
source of business so; the government focuses very little on the zones outside the tourism
especially local resident of the Barcelona (Richards, 2010). As per local resident tourism is
actually ending the creativity of the local youth and are forcing them to adopt this enforcement
without will. Almost every day the local shops are being replaced by bike or car rental shops
which are not within the limits of local youths. Due to this over tourism the city is not able to
provide other industries like IT or manufacturing to explore the market which in turn affect the
local employment ratio (Marine-Roig and Clavé, 2015).
International sustainable tourism theory
The theory simply says that tourism must carry in such a way that it may not only provide a
comfort zone for the tourists but also for the receivers of the city which is hosting this. In this
dynamic world of business especially in tourism industry things and related situations are
changing every year so it has become very difficult to sustain in the market (Spenceley and
Meyer, 2012). Present situation is completely different from the previous conditions where every
aspect whether visitors, receivers and resources were equally proportionate to each other. But
now the population is overcrowded as compared to resources available. When the word
sustainable is used it is not only limited to the aspects related to the local resident but it is also
related to the sustainability of nature, climate which is being impacted due to overloaded
infrastructures in the city (Jamal and Stronza, 2009). As it is known that infrastructure are
directly related to the cutting of trees, leveling the lands are other such activities which naturally
affects the basic nature of that city. In simply words it can be said the over tourism or greed of
over tourism is actually a serious threat for the sustainability of tourism itself. In order to create a
win –win situation, it has become the duty of the entire related stakeholder to take this threat

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seriously and created some kind of solution which should be favorable to both the parties
(Buckley, 2012).
Over tourism in Barcelona
The word does not mean that large numbers of people but it try to indicate number of people at
once in Barcelona. The outside agent or companies which are connected with this tourism
industry restricts the flow of money inside their circle and not allowing it to open for local
resident. Even in case of cruise line, online booking has also impacted the earning of the local
people or resident (Alexis, 2017). It has been noticed that tourist who books accommodation on
an average spent just two nights here, which limits it to only up to few zone and do not provide
the opportunity to explore the main sites of the Barcelona. This over tourism provided the
unnecessary support to overlook rules and regulations of the Barcelona.
According to 2017 report, it was found that around 125,000 legally registered beds in hotels and
in tourist apartments along with 50,000 illegal beds. It has been found that over tourism has not
only affected the quality life of the tourism but it has also affected the ability of the area (Garay
and Cánoves, 2011). This overcrowded tourism has not only affected the loss of opportunity but
it has also impacted the loss of identity and has given rise to antisocial behaviours which was
reported by Barcelona authorities.
(Source: Statistic report of Barcelona, 2018)

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The data clearly indicates that the number of tourists have really grown in massive amount in
Barclona from 1990 to 2017 and it has not stopped yet, it is still increasing just like population in
countries like china and India which forms the almost 36.5% of the whole population. Every city
has some limited source which is related to the percentage of the population living there and if
the population of tourist will grow in such rate which is almost four times the percentage of
tourist in 1990, the city will not be able to handle this huge population change (Forgas-Coll,
Palau-Saumell, Sánchez-García and Callarisa-Fiol, 2012). As per study it has been found that
people which actually belong to Barcelona are being betrayed by their own government on the
cost of local resident. It has been noted that the rate of crime is almost directly proportional to
the rate of tourism.
(Source: Spain 2017 Crime & Safety Report, 2018)
As the rate of tourism has increase, the rate of criminal activities has also increased in such a
beautiful and peace loving city. Native residents, particularly those living very near to the
hugely visited regions, are honestly distress from seasonal mobbing and the increasing, time on
time influences of huge statistics of travelers visiting Barcelona. The entirety of the travel and
tourist encouraged pressures have been labeled over tourism; a broadcasting shaped word which
now efficiently succeeds the more official, long stand-up theoretical tags of the community,
national, financial and ecological influences of tourism (Briedenhann, 2011). Let us take
example of Venice which has 54,000 residents and hosts almost 29.9 million guests. Soothing
outside, doing the native shopping, retrieving transport, and merely walking everywhere the city

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has become challenging happenings for Venetian residents in the existence of thousands of
others. It has been seen that in Paris, waiting periods for major magnetisms can surpass 3-4
hours, with joined traffic and public capability excess. In Barcelona, uninspired foot traffic
sideways Las Ramblas is additional likes connection a crowd sendoff a football arena than
pleasing in an unhurried stroll.
Reaction of local residents
Because of this entire situation, the local resident has totally in favor of reducing the level of
tourism in Barcelona. The local resident has come out on streets and is demanding tourists go
home. In many case the local resident believes that it is not a kind of tourism, it is a kind off
invasion in the form of taking their place, money, opportunities and disrespect to their values and
believes in the law of the Barcelona (Coldwell, 2017). Many times it has been heard from the
local resident of Barcelona that they do not feel it as home, it now look like a prison to them. In
2017, their peaceful protest had turned in to violence, burning of tires, anti-tourism poster on
every street and walls of the place; in fact attack on tourism bus had been executed along with
punctures of tourist bikes. In many cases it has been seen the quality of the food which is being
serviced to these tourists are being decreased intentionally in order to show their opposition or
dissatisfaction related to their visit.

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Many people believe that protest is against tourists but it is totally wrong they are actually
protesting against authorities for not taking care of this place, with businesses and also with
capitalism itself (Di Masso, Dixon and Pol, 2011). As the authorities are overlook the rules and
regulation of the place in order to gain more money, this place has turned in to total mess in form
of rules as tourist use street as a toilet and performing unethical practices in public. The place
has totally turned in to big zone of drugs, stag parties and prostitutions which is impacting the
life of the local resident. It has actually decreased the productivity and creativity of youth and
has introduced them in to this glamour’s world of addition.
Stake holders
Numerous stakeholders have a part to play in refining the livability of those communities already
affected by tourism. Administrations, advertising bodies and groups all need to be considered.
Additional, travelers themselves inevitability be involved in the medium of development and
alteration to evade over tourism. Merely providing controlling declarations of how visitors must
alter may be ineffective (Jamal and Stronza, 2009). The native public is not the only stakeholder
pretentious by over tourism and its encounters. Quite correctly, trades may be terrible that they
will develop the boards of the occupants’ anti-tourism mawkishness and that their effectiveness
may be disturbed if strong guidelines are presented which request restrictions to statistics and
volume. Travelers, too, are possible scums as anti–tourism sentimentality rises; not only will
deprived facility be probable to triumph, but also secret aggression may progress into direct
violence.
The numerous codes of behavior broadcast by organizations may be overlooked if they are
intended in a top down method. Proclamations and codes signifying “Tourists obligation” and
“Tourists must” behave themselves in precise habits may not be allied with travelers’ wants. This
merger of welfares is attained by considering the habits travelers in packed and worried settings
achieve to have a fruitful appointment (d'Angella and Go, 2009). From these achievement
sections, it is likely to build an account of strategies about operative and smart traveler
behaviour. Some of these strategies have a part to play in generating more optimistic
consequences and preventive the belongings of travelers on the terminuses they visit. The
essential for smart preparation, to be a smart visitor, a smart tourist, a smart operator of
technology and for travelers to be smart in submerging themselves in their involvements were

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recognized. These themes can offer helpful instructions to uphold the well-being of both
travelers and those who live nearby tourist zones. In the Tourism Intellect Opportunity, it is
appropriate to advance the reason of creation tourists smarter and more intellectual to decrease
some of the belongings of over travel.
Actions taken by authorities
Authorities has taken very strict steps of the zones which are heavily crowded during peak
seasons so the authorities has lower down the amount of tourism in this area by tightly number of
visitors. The local government has also included restriction in the license for providing tourist
accommodation. According to managing director of hotel business, the government is not
focusing on the main issues of regulating tourism instead of that they are focusing more on their
sleeping place (González, 2011). The authorities have restricted the number of only 400 with
entry charge while local resident have free entry. The market authority has also restricted the
market entry with only 15 people because while entering in the food market, they try to take
photos which unintentionally blocks the flow of traffic. It has been noticed by the higher
authorities that one of the main reason for overcrowded population is the bad parking facilities
and so they have focused their viewpoint in modifying parking structure as per the current need.
The government must take strict actions against illegal accommodation offered and must make
tourist aware of bad consequence of staying illegally in this place (Blanco, 2009). The authorities
must put complete restricts on drugs and related things which can become risk for innovation.
Conclusion and suggestion
The Tourism management of the Barcelona must divide their tourism season in to three parts.
One will be peak season; other will be week off season and third will be near winter season. The
management must also encourage tourist to also visit on Monday to Wednesday of the weeks
knowing that Friday to Sunday are the busiest days. This will help the management to regulate
the whole week in better way. Try to motivate the tourists to stay more than two days in the place
which will keep the local people happy because it will increase their income.

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References
Alexis, P. (2017) Over-tourism and anti-tourist sentiment: An exploratory analysis and
discussion. Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, 17(2), pp.288-293.
Blanco, I. (2009) Does a ‘Barcelona model’really exist? Periods, territories and actors in the
process of urban transformation. Local Government Studies, 35(3), pp.355-369.
Briedenhann, J. (2011) Economic and tourism expectations of the 2010 FIFA World Cup–a
resident perspective. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 16(1), pp.5-32.
Buckley, R. (2012) Sustainable tourism: Research and reality. Annals of Tourism
Research, 39(2), pp.528-546.
Coldwell, W. (2017) First Venice and Barcelona: now anti-tourism marches spread across
Europe. The Guardian, 10, p.2017.
d'Angella, F. and Go, F.M. (2009) Tale of two cities’ collaborative tourism marketing: Towards
a theory of destination stakeholder assessment. Tourism Management, 30(3), pp.429-440.
Di Masso, A., Dixon, J. and Pol, E. (2011) On the contested nature of place:‘Figuera’s
Well’,‘The Hole of Shame’and the ideological struggle over public space in
Barcelona. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 31(3), pp.231-244.
Forgas-Coll, S., Palau-Saumell, R., Sánchez-García, J. and Callarisa-Fiol, L.J. (2012) Urban
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Garay, L. and Cánoves, G. (2011) Life cycles, stages and tourism history: The Catalonia (Spain)
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Marine-Roig, E. and Clavé, S.A. (2015) Tourism analytics with massive user-generated content:
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Masson, S. and Petiot, R. (2009) Can the high speed rail reinforce tourism attractiveness? The
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