Barcelona's Mayor to Tourists: Go Away
Mayor-elect Ada Colau worries that the tourist hot spot could "end up like Venice"
Visitors sunbathe at La Marbella beach in Barcelona.
Photographer: David Ramos/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Barcelona boasts dazzling architecture, fabulous food, abundant sunshine, and a stylish, laid-back vibe. No wonder a record 7.6 million people are expected to visit Barcelona this year. It's now the third most visited city in Europe, behind London and Paris, and ranks No. 12 worldwide, according to the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index released on June 3.
Barcelona Mayor-elect Ada Colau Ballano doesn't think this is good news. Colau, who leads a coalition of environmentalists and social activists that won municipal elections in May, says the tourism surge is making the city uninhabitable for its 1.7 million residents.