Barcelona tourists face local backlash

The Spanish city of Barcelona is a prime destination for travelers, but many people living there say they have had enough and have taken to the sun-soaked beach to push back against certain types of tourists.

People cool off at Sant Sebastia and Sant Miquel beaches in Barceloneta neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, August 16, 2015.
TRT World and Agencies

People cool off at Sant Sebastia and Sant Miquel beaches in Barceloneta neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, August 16, 2015.

Some Barcelona residents say they want to see fewer new faces in town this summer. They're protesting the rising number of tourists arriving in the city.

Many holiday-goers are opting to reserve apartments online on websites like AirBnB - instead of using hotels.

And that's pushing up rental prices, which have risen so high that locals say they can't afford them. That's forcing many out of the city centre.

"Those tourists who come here to soak up our culture, book a hotel or a hostel are perfect," says local resident Ester Jonquera. "Those who come to rent a tourist apartment and come here to annoy us, then they can turn back and go home because we don't want them," she adds.

As Paul Taylor reports, anti-tourist sentiment could soon be sweeping across southern Europe.

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