LOCAL politicians in Barcelona have voted to lower a cap on the number of tourists allowed to visit one of the city’s most popular attractions.
From 2027, some 500,000 fewer visitors will be allowed to set foot annually in Park Guell, the famous mosaic-filled public park designed by Barcelona’s master architect Antoni Gaudi.
Currently, 4.5 million tickets to the park – costing almost €20 each – are released to the general public every year.
But that number appears set to fall to 4 million after a vote held by the Catalan capital’s city council on Wednesday.
The measure will see an 11% daily reduction in foot traffic in the 12 hectare park – equating to 1,365 fewer visitors each day.
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The proposal was put forward by the left-wing, pro-independence ERC party and passed with the support of the ruling socialist PSC – the sister party of Pedro Sanchez’s PSOE – plus the left-wing Barcelona en Comú, right-wing, pro-independence Junts per Catalunya and far-right Vox.
The conservative Partido Popular (PP) was the only mainstream party to vote against the plan.
Supporters of the cap say it will help to preserve the heritage of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and lower the number of tourists who disrupt residents in nearby neighbourhoods such as Horta-Guinardó and trendy Gracia.
Jordi Coronas, a local ERC councillor, described the move as a ‘much-needed step’, but added that more needed to be done.
Last year, the park hit the headlines after protests against a Louis Vuitton fashion show turned violent.
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Celebrities including Emma Stone, Sophie Turner and Ana de Armas attended the event, which sparked fury among local residents who rallied against the ‘privatisation of public space’ and the disruption caused by hosting the show.
Videos posted on social media showed protesters being beaten back by dozens of baton-wielding Mossos d’Esquadra officers clad in riot gear as the demonstration attempted to access the park to disrupt the catwalk.
One person was arrested and seven officers were injured during the skirmishes.
Locals were also angered after it emerged that one of the stairs inside the park was damaged during construction for the show.
This week’s decision to lower the cap on Parc Guell is the latest move designed to quell a surge in anti-tourist sentiment in Barcelona.
Last year, Barcelona’s mayor announced a ban on all tourist rentals by 2028, while earlier this year the city council voted to double its tourist tax.
Some locals believe lodgings used by tourists should be repurposed for city residents, many of whom have been driven out of the city center and towards the suburbs as rental prices skyrocket.
Around 32 million people visit the city every year, famed for iconic landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia and La Rambla.
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