From Hip Hangout to Heaving Hotspot
What a summer it has been for tourism. On the positive side record numbers of people have been travelling for their holidays and 2024 is set to beat the previous high in 2019 – pre Covid.
On the not so good side, the issue of “Over Tourism” whereby a destination and its local residents suffer more than they gain by increasing visitor numbers, dominated the news headlines. I must admit I probably didn’t help with my 3 part series for BBC Radio 4, exploring the causes of this problem and also possible solutions.
Now a new survey shows that a third of people in Spain – a hugely popular tourist destination – feel that their local area has too many international visitors. This is quite a shift in attitude for a country which has been heavily reliant on income from tourism.
That number is particularly high in Catalonia – nearly 50% - which is the region that includes Barcelona. I have very strong feelings for this city as I first visited there in the later 1980’s before the Olympics transformed everything.
This was before even the budget airlines had set up business. It was a hip cool city in my eyes then – and me and my mates busked on the streets and in the metros – and soaked up the unique vibes of the architectures, the culture and the people. I loved the spirit here and the desire to be creative – perhaps as a reaction to decades under the suppression of the Franco regime.
Before long the buskers had become a proper band called Maroon Town and we were playing huge festivals in Barcelona and got signed up by a record label there, doing live shows on TV and touring the country. Wow heady times! We were know for having “mucha marcha!” with our energetic stage act and ska and reggae grooves.
But post- Olympics, the city became more and more developed and commercialised and for me it lost its authenticity. Pick pocketing on the overcrowded Ramblas became rife and soon staying there became very expensive. The beach with imported sand from Egypt and the nearby shopping centre complex on the Waterfront attracted a whole new kind of tourist. I spoke to locals who complained about gentrification and how local life was being destroyed by the short term rentals sector.
Then along came the invasion of the cruise ships disgorging thousands of daytrippers into the narrow streets of the old city and Barcelona’s unwanted role as the poster child for Over Tourism was sealed.
But I know there are so many other amazing lesser known towns and cities around the world that would welcome more tourism and even as the band celebrates 35 years of existence I would love to find a new cool hangout abroad where we could build our reputation and a following once again. Spreading the love is the answer…..