Overtourism: Barcelona, Spain To Impose Cruise Ship Restrictions

Once the pandemic was over, travel was back in a big way in most worldwide destinations, including iconic Barcelona in Spain. While, obviously, destinations like Barcelona rely on tourism, this year the number of visitors has become a major problem. As recently reported, one neighborhood in the city posted graffiti, telling the tourists to go home and warning them that they would spit in their beer. While that might sound a bit extreme, it is understandable that local residents want to live their lives normally, without crowds of people on their doorsteps. However, new steps are now being taken to reduce the numbers crowding the city.

Barcelona to impose restrictions on cruise ships in its harbor

As recently reported, Barcelona has teamed up with Amsterdam in coming up with measures to fight overtourism, while promoting sustainable tourism. Amsterdam recently banned cruise ships from its port and now, Barcelona is about to do the same.

From October 22, Barcelona, one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, will introduce restrictions on the number of cruise ships entering its port. This action is an effort to not only combat overtourism but also to fight pollution in the city’s waters and air.

Known for Antoni Gaudi’s magnificent modernistic architecture and the fascinating Gothic quarter, Barcelona reportedly welcomed more than 2.3 million cruise travelers in 2022. Now, the city’s authorities have said enough is enough.

Sustainable tourism and cleaner air

The new initiative aims to reduce exhausted emissions in the heart of Barcelona by relocating cruise ships to mooring further afield. According to the Express, the city holds the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city in Europe due to the many cruise ships.

The new changes are sure to disappoint cruise ship passengers, as currently, they can disembark from the ship and immediately head up the city’s iconic La Rambla.

With the new system, the cruise ships will dock in a more distant southern port, currently used by larger vessels like Royal Caribbean. By mooring there, passengers will need to organize a shuttle bus or taxi, as it is too far to walk.

Speaking of the city’s decision, Lluis Salvado, President of Port of Barcelona, explained that this wasn’t a rash move.

“The plan to move ships was not an ‘arbitrary decision,’” he said, adding that this is the result of years of work to curtail emissions to protect the city’s inhabitants.

The fight against overtourism

This latest decision to reroute cruise ships is part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of cruise tourism in Barcelona. Recently, demonstrations by locals have addressed rising concerns about overtourism and environmental degradation. Meanwhile, one common complaint among local residents is that cruise tourists contribute little to the economy of Barcelona but cause crowding.

Barcelona is following in the footsteps of not only Amsterdam but also Venice and Santorini have imposed similar restrictions on cruise ships. In fact, especially since the end of the pandemic and the return of travel, overtourism is a major problem in Europe.