Overview

• Coordinated June 15 demonstrations in Barcelona, Palma, Venice and Lisbon saw thousands of locals protest mass tourism by chanting slogans, blocking hotels and using water pistols on tourists.
• Spain’s national government ordered the removal of 66,000 illegal holiday rentals from platforms like Airbnb to address the housing crisis.
• Barcelona plans to phase out 10,000 short-term rental licences by 2028 as part of a broader push to limit tourist accommodations.
• Protesters blame mass tourism for driving up rents, displacing long-term residents and replacing family-run businesses with souvenir shops and fast-food chains.
• Activists are calling for stricter visitor caps, sustainable tourism practices and the dispersal of visitors into less crowded neighbourhoods to protect local communities.