Residents Push Back as Tourism Drives Housing Crisis

Growing anger over housing costs and mass tourism has brought thousands of Spanish residents into the streets, with protests spreading across Barcelona, Madrid and other cities.

Residents say the surge in tourism, particularly the growth of short-term vacation rentals, has made already-expensive housing harder to afford, per Fox News.

Critics argue that apartments once available to residents are increasingly being converted into lucrative accommodations for visitors.

Barcelona has become a focal point in the dispute. The city and its surrounding region attracted 26.1 million visitors in 2025, generating an estimated $15.4 billion in direct tourism spending, according to the Barcelona Tourism Observatory.

Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni and other officials have acknowledged the pressure created by tourism and housing demand. José Antonio Donaire, Barcelona's commissioner for sustainable tourism, told The New York Times that the city began reconsidering its approach to tourism years ago.

"But the message of the city now is: Not one tourist more," Donaire said.

The debate intensified after the September eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old Spanish pensioner, which became a symbol of the housing affordability crisis. Following her death on Oct. 7, thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Málaga and other cities.

Short-term rentals remain one of the major points of contention. Barcelona has also increased the cost of visiting the city, with a $5.60 (€5.00) municipal surcharge added to the regional Catalan tourist tax on April 1.

The combined overnight tax for hotel guests now ranges from $7.84 (€7.00) to $13.44 (€12.00) per person, per night, according to the Catalan Tax Agency.

The city has taken steps targeting cruise tourism as well. In September 2025, Barcelona finalized plans to restrict short-stay cruise tourism, after the City Council initially approved raising the municipal surcharge for those visitors to the legal maximum of $27 per day.

Travel writer Jordi Lippe-McGraw, who moved to Barcelona from New York City six weeks ago, said the competition for housing was immediately noticeable.

"It's a city where so many people want to live. There's a lot of pressure on available housing," she told Fox News Digital.

Lippe-McGraw said tourist-heavy areas such as the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas and the Sagrada Familia can become extremely crowded, even during ordinary weekdays. She said she understands why residents might become frustrated by crowds interfering with their daily routines.

Still, she said her own family has received a warm welcome from locals. Lippe-McGraw added that visitors can help ease tensions by learning the language, respecting local customs and making an effort to understand Spanish culture.