The campaign “Let the Tourist Pay My Rent” originated in May 2024 as an initiative by a local creative agency, which led to the birth of the Sardinas en Barcelona movement. Its goal is to push for a much higher tourist tax to help mitigate the housing crisis worsened by mass tourism.

Its main objective is for the funds collected through this tax to be directed primarily towards the construction of social housing and rental subsidies.

Mass tourism in Barcelona is driving up rental prices and displacing local residents. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of regulation and enforcement on tourist apartments, as well as real estate speculation driven by tourist demand. Additionally, the excessive influx of tourists degrades the quality of life for residents by congesting neighborhoods, overloading public services, and increasing noise and pollution. The campaign also warns that tourism overload threatens the city’s sustainability and its cultural and natural heritage, risking the overexploitation of local resources.
The uncontrolled influx of visitors is eroding Barcelona’s local identity, transforming it into a tourist showroom and replacing traditional local commerce.

Despite recent increases, current tourist taxes remain very low compared to the value generated by tourism and the real costs it imposes on the city. On top of this, Barcelona suffers from widespread tax evasion from undeclared tourist rentals, which further reduces public income and deepens the housing crisis, largely due to a lack of effective enforcement.
Although implementing a tourist visa system could be an ideal solution, this measure is beyond the authority of both the Barcelona City Council and the Catalan Government.

The campaign is highly critical of the ineffectiveness of both municipal and regional governments in addressing the issue. Although the local government has announced a plan to ban tourist apartments by 2029, the campaign sees this timeline as far too long, unreliable, and ineffective in tackling the problem of illegal or hidden tourist rentals, which continue to profit behind the backs of the majority of the population.

The initiative calls for a reduction in the annual number of tourists through a significant increase in the tourist tax, alongside an international campaign for tourism degrowth, starting with the immediate suspension of current promotional campaigns that irresponsibly continue to market the city—such as This is Barcelona and Barcelona Art Season.

To learn more, visit:
queelturistapaguemialquiler.org