Protesters against overtourism take to the streets of southern Europe [View all]

Source: Reuters

Protesters against overtourism take to the streets of southern Europe

Guillermo Martinez, Ana Cantero and Giulio Piovaccari
Sun, June 15, 2025 at 10:58 AM EDT2 min read

BARCELONA/MADRID (Reuters) -Thousands of people took to the streets of cities in southern Europe on Sunday to demonstrate against overtourism, firing water pistols at shop windows and setting off smoke in Barcelona, where the main protest took place.

"Your holidays, my misery," protesters chanted in the streets of Barcelona while holding up banners emblazoned with slogans such as "mass tourism kills the city" and "their greed brings us ruin".

Under the umbrella of the SET alliance - Sud d'Europa contra la Turistització, or Catalan for "Southern Europe against Overtourism" - protesters joined forces with groups in Portugal and Italy, arguing that uncontrolled tourism was sending housing prices soaring and forcing people out of their neighbourhoods.

Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million, drew 26 million tourists last year.

Authorities in the north eastern Spanish city said around 600 people joined the demonstration there, some firing water pistols or setting off coloured smoke and putting stickers saying 'Neighbourhood self-defence, tourist go home' on shop windows and hotels.

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