Call of more than 200 personalities to put limits on the tourist overexploitation of Barcelona

Barcelona The mobilizations against mass tourism that have already taken place in recent months in the Canary Islands and Mallorca will arrive in Barcelona on July 6. A demonstration has been called for that Saturday in the Catalan capital, however, a manifesto has already been presented this Wednesday in which more than 200 personalities are committed to reducing tourist activity and putting “limits” on it. Among the signatories of the manifesto are names such as activist David Fernàndez, journalist Natza Farré, writers Kiko Amat and Anna Pacheco, musicians Clara Peya and Maria Arnal or academics José Mansilla and Joan Buades.

Faced with a summer in which Barcelona can break its visitor record, the promoters of the manifesto have criticized the “tourism” of Barcelona. “Lately, we’ve been hearing siren songs from the city council talking about reducing and managing, but avoiding the necessary decrease,” pointed out activist Daniel Pardo, spokesperson for the Assembly of Neighborhoods for Sustainable Tourism (ABTS) in Barcelona. According to the ACN, the presentation also called for participation in the unitary demonstration called for July 6, which already has the support of around eighty social and environmental organizations.

Both the manifesto presented this Wednesday and the demonstration in July share the criticism of the “over-exploitation of the city”, which, they interpret, generates a whole series of damages for Barcelona. Among the costs of this model, they place the “economic dependence of a highly volatile industry, the expulsion of the neighborhood, job insecurity, the weakening of the commercial fabric and the loss of community spaces, the environmental footprint and the ‘increase in inequalities and social and economic injustices’.

In addition, they consider that the current tourism model allows a “high influence of business groups in the governance of the city and democratic deficit, increase in public spending on services for the benefit of the tourism sector, aggravation of environmental conditions and in the crisis climate, banalization and commodification of the city’s heritage, and impoverishment of local culture”.

Stop promoting tourism

For all that, the manifesto calls for the cessation of tourism promotion with public money and the dismantling of the Turisme de Barcelona consortium, as well as an end to subsidies and tax exemptions in the sector. They also claim to stop any expansion of the Port and the airport, reduce cruises and the offer of tourist accommodation. In addition, they raise the need to give up events such as Mobile and the Copa América and improve working conditions in the sector.

In terms of taxation, they propose to increase the tourist tax to 12.5% ​​of the price of the overnight stay and make people who arrive in Barcelona by cruise pay 11 euros. In addition, they are asking for new taxes on tourism intended to compensate for the direct and indirect costs that this sector generates, and to encourage the economic diversification of crowded environments.

2024-06-12 12:10:49
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