Mass tourism protesters in Barcelona spray water at tourists

Thousands of mass tourism protesters marched through Barcelona, with some shooting water guns at travelers who were dining in popular neighborhoods. The demonstrators were angered by mass tourism and its impacts on Spain's most visited city. The protesters, who carried signs reading “Tourists go home,” say tourism has inflated the cost of living for Barcelonians, while revenue from visitors hasn’t been fairly distributed across the city.

Class discussion: Would getting squirted with water make you leave town? Since most tourists visits sites in their own countries, how easy it to tell the difference between and a tourist and a resident? What is “mass” tourism? How many people earn their livings from tourists and other travelers? Are resort areas often too expensive for their workers to live nearby? How can tourism raise the cost of living for permanent residents? Could heavy taxes on tourists hurt the economy of popular cities?