Barcelona has an overtourism problem. This is how it’s trying to fix it Barcelona has an overtourism problem. This is how it’s trying to fix it

From Venice and Amsterdam to Dubrovnik and Kyoto, overtourism is the word on everybody’s lips. But if there’s one city that’s become synonymous with the problem, it’s Barcelona.

There, thousands of residents have taken to the streets to chant ‘tourists go home’, graffiti has popped up declaring ‘your luxury trip – my daily misery’, and the Neighbourhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth has said it will continue to plan demonstrations as peak season approaches.

While in 2024 the city of Barcelona received 15.6 million tourists, a decrease of 0.2% on the year before, that number still places the city in the top five most-visited in Europe.

In response to pressure from residents, Barcelona City Council has introduced a number of measures to stop the numbers from growing further: By 2028, all 10,000 tourist apartment licences will be revoked, the tourist tax was increased last year (with plans for this to be upped again from October), and its northern port terminal has closed to cruise traffic, ensuring they dock outside of the city centre.

But now, Turisme de Barcelona has a new strategy for appeasing its residents as it is attempting to attract ‘quality’ tourists by raising the city’s profile as a capital of culture and the arts.

This includes the launch of Barcelona Art Season, featuring exhibitions such as the retrospective for Sean Scully at Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera (until 6 July); Zurbarán (super)natural at MNAC (until 29 July); Miró and the United States at Fundació Joan Miró; Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica at MACBA (6 November-6 April 2026); and Ubu the Painter. Alfred Jarry and the Arts at Museu Picasso (28 November-5 April 2026).

Major cultural projects have also been announced – €16.26 million (£13.8 million) is being invested in an extension of the MACBA while €120 million (£102 million) is being used to expand the MNAC, and the Tres Xemeneies (Three Chimneys) is set to be transformed into Catalunya Media City.

Barcelona Obertura will also return for another season of concerts and musical productions across Barcelona’s Liceu opera house, the Palau de la Música Catalana and L’Auditori.

The city’s slogan – Visit Barcelona – is now This is Barcelona, which is meant to reflect the changed focus of the consortium’s promotion of the city. The slogan ‘come for the music and stay for the rest’ (the rest being retail, gastronomy, and, of course, the 300 days of sunshine the city gets per year), initially used to promote the city as a classical music destination, will also be adopted by other cultural programmes.

Turisme de Barcelona’s CEO, Mateu Hernández, said, “Tourism can be a powerful tool for promoting art, music and creativity in Barcelona and Turisme de Barcelona wants to be at the service of the city’s museums, cultural centres, theatres, galleries and concert venues so they can bring the best in culture to locals and visitors alike. ‘Barcelona Art Season’ is one of the first brand names we are using to confirm our commitment to the best of our city.

“These commitments are associated with pride in the city and its reputation, with highlighting its quality offer and showing Turisme de Barcelona as a launchpad that can grow sectors like culture and attract investment.”

2026 is set to be a big year for culture in Barcelona, making it the perfect time to see if its new promotional strategy works. Barcelona has been named the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2026 in time for the 100th anniversary of Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan architect behind Sagrada Família, whose main tower will be completed by June that year.

Only time will tell if Barcelona’s bid to become recognised as an ’emerging long-standing cultural destination’ will pay off.

Read next: Why overtourism matters – and how you can make a difference