Barcelona En Comú has presented a proposal to divert the 50 million euros that Jaume Collboni's government plans to invest in tourism promotion towards housing policies. The initiative will be formally presented at the next City Council plenary session and will be accompanied by a signature collection in the city's neighborhoods throughout the summer.
The party's mayoral candidate, Gerardo Pisarello, has expressed concern about the "excessive overtourism" affecting the city, particularly in areas like the Eixample, Ciutat Vella, and Poblenou. According to Pisarello, this situation leads to rising rents and precarious wages, and he believes that allocating more funds to tourism is not the solution.
“"What we are asking for is that these 50 million euros do not go towards turning Barcelona into a theme park solely for those who consume, visit, and pass through, but for the cities and the residents who live in them"
The protest action included a truck with an image of Collboni resembling a 50 million euro banknote and the message "Mayor Collboni wastes your money attracting more tourists".
From the opposition, it is considered that Barcelona is late in setting limits on mass tourism. They criticize that policies such as airport expansion or the reduction of cruise terminals have been halted, measures that they still expect to see implemented. The Catalan capital received 26 million tourists last year.
