Barcelona Tourism Office leaves behind 'Visit Barcelona' slogan amid anti-tourism protests

The Barcelona Tourism office is changing its decade-long slogan of 'Visit Barcelona' amid the anti-tourism protests.

The new motto, 'This is Barcelona,' will officially launch on August 22, coinciding with the first day of the America's Cup preliminary regattas in the Catalan capital.

In 2009, the office unveiled 'Visit Barcelona,' which has now changed to end the city's "general" promotion and focus on quality tourism rather than the quantity of visitors.

One goal of the new slogan is to highlight what "Barcelona is:" a city of traditions, sports, gastronomy, museums, and music festivals.

"A real and specific Barcelona, and not just a landscape," Mateu Hernández, general director of the Barcelona Tourism board, said during a meeting with journalists.

"We put an end to a global call for them to visit us, and we do a step forward in highlighting us," Hernández added.

"'This is Barcelona' is a saying of the singular identity of the city," the group says.

Early in July, dozens of civil society groups organized a demonstration that saw around 2,800 people protest against mass tourism in Barcelona.

Some of these rally-goers even squirted water using water guns on visitors, which was considered unacceptable by the hotel association.

Under the slogan “Enough! Let’s put limits on tourism!” protests demand measures to reduce tourism ahead of a summer season that is expected to break records in Catalonia.

According to the latest data from the Statistical Institute of Catalonia, 2 million tourists arrived in Catalonia in May of this year, an increase of 5,9% since May of last year.

For Hernández, Barcelona would not have the cultural or gastronomical possibilities it currently has without qualified tourism.

"The challenges Barcelona has are shared with other international cities such as Amsterdam and Vienna," he added.

'No' to infinite growth

Barcelona's Chamber of Commerce guild has warned that tourism "cannot continue to have an infinite growth" and asked for a slowdown in the number of visitors, with an "increase of prices and salaries," Joan Ramon Rovira, head of the financial studies cabinet, said.

Experts say there have been some "signals" of a transformation of tourism in Barcelona, as there has been a slight increase in the number of bookings in five- and four-star hotels compared to the previous year.

Catalans back promoting tourism

Almost 75% of Catalans, three out of four, are in favor of continuing to promote tourism in Catalonia, according to a general survey by the CEO, a Catalan-government-owned survey agency, published on Friday.

Meanwhile, half of those questioned consider that tourism limits activities and the public space available for locals. And 46% say that tourism is reaching its limit in their county and area.

The survey was made between March 12 and May 19.

Out of those backing continuing to promote tourism, 24% are very much in favor, and 50% agree. However, 39% are against it or very much against it.