Barcelona rests hopes on mass tourism

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Months without tourists are painfully apparent across Barcelona. A number of stores have even lost their businesses.
The Catalan capital is suffering from lack of tourists. While city officials are waiting for vacationers to return, critics of mass tourism are finding it hard to make their voices heard.

With almost 5 million visitors annually, the SagradaFamília was the most popular attraction in Barcelona before the pandemic hit. It also signified the city’s mass tourism boom. 2019 witnessed a record number of 14 million vacationers visiting the city, more than ever before.

Between 2010 and 2019, the number of passengers going through the airport increased from 30 million to 53 million. However, during this time, much of the local population became annoyeddue to the rapid increase of tourism, resulting in regular protests.

However, now the situation has changed. The souvenir store opposite the SagradaFamilia is having a clearance sale. Restaurants are also witnessing occupied tables. Hence, the more the tourism, the better it is for the economy.

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