The head of municipal government in Barcelona, Spain has solemnly vowed to eradicate weekly and daily tourist rentals by 2029, making all the flats and houses currently listed on the Internet platforms Airbnb, Homeaway and the like, accessible exclusively to residents of the area.

During the recent press conference, the municipal head of government declared that any of more than 10,000 tourist licenses currently held by local landlords, that are due to expire at the end of 2028, will not be renewed by his administration.

Over the past few months, numerous demonstrations have taken place across various regions of Spain, as a response to the detrimental impacts of mass tourism on the costs of living for the locals. Protesters argue that this industry is not only harming the environment but also displacing local residents.

Barcelona has been grappling with severe shortage of housing for a long time, with local officials attributing the problem to spiking tourist numbers. The city’s booming technology sector was also to blame, they say, with thousands of foreign tech professionals moving to Barcelona .

According to Mr. Collboni, Barcelona housing prices had gone up 70% since 2014, making them out of reach for many city residents. And while the surge in demand has outpaced the construction of new housing units, resulting in a rise in prices, new initiative would have an effect of adding 10,000 supplementary residences to the city’s housing pool, the mayor argued.

In response to Mr. Collboni’s declaration, some city council members have argued that 2028 was a way too distant a timeframe for individuals who they claim are currently being squeezed out of the city, and that the new scheme was of undermining the property rights. Meanwhile, the Association of Tourist Apartments of Barcelona (ATA) stated that this alteration would simply result in the unlawful rental of apartments to tourists.