“Tourists Go Home” – A Research on the Impact of Tourism on Barcelona’s Housing Crisis and Pathways to Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

The city of Barcelona is currently facing an unparalleled housing crisis, with prices soaring by 49% in just three years, forcing longtime residents to flee the city as their salaries fail to meet the inflated housing prices. Many have attributed the blame on the increased influx of foreign visitors, whose superior purchasing power has driven prices up, in a movement headlined by the slogan “Tourists Go Home”. This paper explores the role tourism has played in the development of the housing crisis in the Catalan capital and explores the concept of sustainable tourism as a potential solution. Combining data from primary and secondary sources, this study develops a comprehensive understanding of the case of Barcelona as both a prime example of the consequences of excess tourism and a pioneer in housing regulation and social activism.