Does Barcelona suffer from overtourism?

One of Europe's most popular city break destinations, Barcelona has had a problem with over-tourism for around the last seven years.



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Visitors surge down the city's famed La Rambla street, crowd the local Boqueria market, take over the beaches, create blockages down the narrow streets of the Ciutat Vella (Old Town) and price locals out of homes in central areas.

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Like many other hotspot destinations, Barcelona has suffered the negative consequences of mass tourism: strain on public goods, erosion of commercial services for residents, and indirect expulsion of the local population to make room for hotels and short-term rentals.

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As a matter of fact, more than 23 million visitors and tourists pass through Barcelona each year, with a mean of 154.000 daily visitors 4 . Being one of Europe's most dense cities (15,881 inh/km2), with 1,6 million residents, the pressure of tourism is very present, especially in the central districts.

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Ada Colau, who served as the city's mayor from 2015 to June of 2023, took a number of steps to curb overtourism, such as limiting the number of hotel beds permitted in the city, banning the opening of new hotels in the historic center and opposing an extension of the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport that ...

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Although Barcelona is largely a secure city, some parts are best avoided, particularly after the sun sets. As a visitor to this vibrant city, it's important to be mindful of the risk of pickpocketing and bag theft in high-traffic tourist locales such as Las Ramblas, Sagrada Familia, and Park Guell.

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Skip the hordes that clog up La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter in favour of other neighbourhoods such as Barceloneta, El Born or El Raval. And instead of La Boqueria, try one of the many other Barcelona markets where you'll be rubbing shoulders more with the locals than other visitors.

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Liechtenstein: For quiet mountain exploring
This petite sliver of a country sits nestled in the mountains between Switzerland and Austria. Being so small it has no airport of its own, but access via road or rail from surrounding countries is a breeze. Despite this, it's Europe's least visited country.

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