Water Guns and Protests: Europe’s Anti-Tourism Wave Hits Barcelona and Beyond

Europe’s battle with overtourism has taken a splashy turn, as frustrated locals in Barcelona and Mallorca turned water guns on tourists this past Sunday, signaling a growing backlash against the visitor influx. The protests, marked by signs reading "One more tourist, one less resident" and "Tourist Go Home," reflect a deeper struggle over the soul of these iconic destinations.

In Barcelona, locals like Andreu Martínez are fed up. He told reporters the water guns were a playful jab, meant to irritate rather than harm, but the message is serious: skyrocketing rents—up over 30% in some areas—are pushing lifelong residents out. "Barcelona belongs to its people, not just its visitors," Martínez declared, pointing to the replacement of neighborhood shops with tourist-driven bubble tea spots and burger joints.

The numbers tell a stark story. Barcelona’s City Hall reports around 10,000 short-term rentals, a fraction of the city’s 850,000 homes, yet these rentals are blamed for distorting the housing market. In response, officials plan to phase out such rentals by 2028, while Spain’s government recently ordered Airbnb to remove 66,000 illegal vacation listings. Airbnb’s Spain director, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, pushed back, arguing politicians are scapegoating the platform for decades of flawed housing and tourism policies.

The unrest isn’t limited to Spain. From Venice to Lisbon, locals are rallying against the tourist tide. Greece is set to slap a $22 tax on cruise passengers to Santorini and Mykonos, while Venice’s 2024 pilot program charging day-trippers $5.17 may soon double. These measures aim to ease the strain on local resources, but they also highlight a growing divide: tourists fuel economies, yet locals bear the cost.

Behind the water guns and protest signs lies a deeper question: how do you balance a city’s heritage with its role as a global playground? For now, Europe’s residents are drawing a line in the sand—or perhaps, a squirt in the face.