Table of Contents
- 1 Record housing deficit
- 2 Historical highs in housing prices and rents
- 3 Empty homes
- 4 Hotels drive mass tourism
- 5 The number of hotels grows
- 6 Record hotel prices
- 7 What were the key factors that led to the Barcelona City Council’s decision to implement restrictions on tourist accommodations, and how has the community responded to these changes since their introduction?
It has been 10 years since Barcelona City Council began a race to limit the activity of housing for tourist use (VUT) in the city1. Taking advantage of this date, Airbnb has sent a letter to the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, in which it asks him to reconsider the restrictive VUT policies that have been implemented in the city over all these years. A review of the results of these actions shows how none of these measures have proven to be effective in addressing the housing and mass tourism challenges that Barcelona faces.
In 2014, Barcelona City Council introduced a moratorium on tourist accommodation licenses that drastically restricted the ability of ordinary citizens to share their homes. The defenders of this measure stated that it was necessary to address the problems of housing and tourist overcrowding. A decade on, official data shows that, although the number of short-term accommodations has decreased, problems related to housing and mass tourism are worse than ever.
Record housing deficit
In the last decade, the rate of housing construction in Spain is the lowest since 19702. Meanwhile, the demand for new homes has continued to increase. In 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Housing3 and Urban Agenda, the number of new homes in Spain grew three times faster than housing construction.
Historical highs in housing prices and rents
Although the number of accommodations on Airbnb has been decreasing in the last decade4, rents and housing prices have reached historic highs. Ten years of absolute moratorium on obtaining VUT licenses in Barcelona have not prevented rental prices from growing by 70%5, while the average house price has increased by 60%6.
Empty homes
If we take as a reference the data from the last INE housing census7, the number of empty homes in Barcelona is almost eight times higher than the number of tourist housing licenses in the city. Policies aimed at solving these and other problems could increase the supply of affordable housing more than the prohibition of an entire economic activity.
Hotels drive mass tourism
According to official figures from Barcelona Tourism, in 2023 75% of tourists stayed in hotels and hostels8. In Ciutat Vella (the “old town” of Barcelona), where the impact of mass tourism is most evident, there are six times more hotel beds than VUT beds. Thus, a third of Barcelona’s hotel beds (22,375 beds) are concentrated in the Old Town9, compared to a capacity of 3,253 beds recorded by short-term rentals in that area.
The number of hotels grows
As concern grows over the impact of mass tourism in Barcelona, the city is increasing its already extensive and dominant hotel offering. Throughout Spain, governments – including that of Barcelona – have authorized plans to build more than 800 new hotels, which will mean the creation of 75,000 new hotel rooms, of which almost 90% will be allocated to existing towns and tourist centers. And although the mayor of Barcelona has said that it is necessary to take drastic measures against VUTs to deal with mass tourism, he has also pointed out that there is potential for 5,000 new hotel rooms in Barcelona, which “will be boosted by the end of rentals in the short term” in the city.
Record hotel prices
With fewer and fewer competitors and almost a monopoly on tourism in Barcelona, hotels have increased their prices to record figures in the city. Official data show that in the last decade, the average price of a hotel room10 has increased by more than 60%.
“As in New York City, the restriction of Airbnb in Barcelona over the last decade is not fulfilling its promise to combat mass tourism and the housing crisis,” he notes. Sarah Rodríguezhead of public policies for Spain and Portugal at Airbnb. “The only winner in Barcelona’s war on short-term rentals is the hotel industry, which is expanding rapidly and increasing prices. We ask the city of Barcelona to rethink its approach, because it is clear that housing for tourist use is not the cause of the city’s historical challenges. “We look forward to working with the authorities on new rules that make it easier for local families to host and make tourism more sustainable for everyone.”
In recent months, various authorities in the EU, Spainy Catalonia They have criticized the Barcelona and Catalonia regulations as inadequate and have expressed concern about their necessity, equity and effectiveness. Local hosts are currently challenging these rules before the courtswhich underlines the need for a balanced approach that takes into account the interests of all stakeholders.
Airbnb has worked diligently with Barcelona to enforce existing regulations and has removed more than 7,000 listings on the platform since 2018. However, it is clear that these measures have not yielded the desired results. Airbnb is committed to working with governments around the world to promote responsible tourism that makes communities stronger.
What were the key factors that led to the Barcelona City Council’s decision to implement restrictions on tourist accommodations, and how has the community responded to these changes since their introduction?
1. The tension between housing supply and demand in Barcelona has been an ongoing issue for many years, and the city’s stance on limiting housing for tourist use (VUT) has been a contentious topic. Could you provide some context on the initial reasoning behind Barcelona City Council’s decision to restrict VUT in the city and how long ago this policy was implemented?
2. It’s been reported that the number of accommodations on Airbnb has been decreasing in the past decade, however, housing prices and rents have reached historic highs. How do you reconcile these seemingly contradictory statistics?
3. Airbnb has recently sent a letter to the mayor of Barcelona, expressing concern about the city’s restrictive VUT policies and their impact on the tourism industry. Are there alternatives the city could implement to address the housing crisis without affecting tourism so drastically?
4. With hotels driving much of the mass tourism in Barcelona, how do you think this will impact the city’s efforts to control overcrowding and concentration of visitors in certain areas?
5. Are there any specific measures that Barcelona or other local governments could take to address the issue of housing prices and availability for residents, while still allowing for some form of tourist accommodation?
6. There has been criticism of the Barcelona and Catalonia regulations regarding housing for tourist use as inadequate, ineffective, and potentially harmful to local hosts. Would you like to respond to these criticisms and discuss the potential for a more balanced approach that takes into account the interests of all stakeholders?
7. Lastly, what role does Airbnb see itself playing in promoting responsible and sustainable tourism in Barcelona and other major cities around the world, and how can these goals be achieved in the midst of competing interests?
