Barcelona, Sep 6 : The growing impact of mass tourism on residents has sparked increasing debate in Barcelona, one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations.

Over 1.2 million tourists visited Barcelona in July, a 7.5 per cent increase compared to the same month last year. The city is on track to surpass the 2019 record of 19.3 million visitors, set before the Covid-19 pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the city council.

However, as tourist numbers rise, so do local concerns. A recent city council public opinion survey revealed that 13 per cent of residents now view tourism as Barcelona's biggest issue, more than doubling last year's figure of 5.9 per cent.

The 2023 Perception of Tourism report, which surveyed around 1,900 residents, found that 23 per cent consider tourism harmful to the city, the highest percentage ever recorded.

"There are too many tourists, and sometimes it's hard to move or walk down certain streets," said local resident Palmira Moncunill, adding that something needs to be done. While acknowledging tourism's economic benefits, she questioned the city council's emphasis on attracting "quality over quantity."

This year, Barcelona hosted high-profile events including the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the ongoing America's Cup, targeting visitors with greater spending power. However, these events have drawn criticism from some local people.

"The authorities talk about managing tourism, but we need to reduce its scale and decrease the city's economic reliance on an industry that is both harmful and volatile," said Dani Pardo, a member of the Assembly of Neighborhoods for the Reduction of Tourism.

In early July, over 3,000 people took to the streets of Barcelona, protesting under the slogan "Enough, let's put limits on tourism." The demonstration was organized by 140 neighbourhood, social, and environmental groups.

Pardo attributes the increasing criticism to "better communication between local communities" and the fact that "tourism is now affecting everyone." He also criticized the authorities for making promises without meaningful action, claiming their goal is to "silence opposition, not reduce tourism's impact."

In response to these concerns, the city council announced new measures in July, including raising the tourist tax to four euros per night and pledging to revoke 10,000 tourist apartment licenses by 2029. However, local organizations say these measures are not enough and are pushing for more radical actions, such as reducing airport capacity, closing cruise ship terminals, and banning the expansion of tourist accommodation.

"There's a debate in Barcelona, as in most European cities, about the limits of tourism. We must manage tourism without increasing the limits, and we're interested in attracting more Asian visitors. But Barcelona cannot become solely a tourist city," said Jordi Valls, the city's Deputy Mayor for Economic Promotion and Tourism.

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce reports that tourism contributes 14.5 per cent of the city's gross domestic product (GDP) and supports 155,000 jobs. The America's Cup alone is expected to generate 1.2 billion euros ($1.33 billion) by the time it concludes in October, according to the Barcelona Capital Nautica Foundation.

/IANS