Barcelona Residents Alter Daily Routines Due to Overtourism, Study Reveals
A study conducted by Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in Tarragona indicates that residents in Barcelona's most crowded neighborhoods, including the Gothic Quarter, Barceloneta, and Sagrada Família, are significantly altering their daily routines due to tourist pressure. The research, based on 44 street-level interviews using a 'walk-along' method, found that residents must plan everyday activities such as shopping, taking children to school, and visiting the beach around tourist traffic. Older residents, who have lived in these areas the longest, reported the greatest difficulties. Many have adopted strategies like changing routes to avoid crowded streets and squares, or adjusting the timing of their outings to periods of lower tourist activity. This situation has led to a feeling of losing personal space and a decline in the quality of life for the local population, transforming traditional neighborhood meeting points into zones of tourist transit. Residents also associate the concentration of visitors ...
