That Barcelona has a problem with over-tourism is no mystery. Tourism is one of the city’s main problems for its neighbors and the growing numbers are frightening and do not seem to point to a decrease. But it seems that this opinion is no longer exclusive of the locals but of voices like the prestigious travel guide Fodor’s, which has included Barcelona among the 15 cities not to visit this 2025.
That’s right, Barcelona is on the “No List”, a selection of tourist destinations that, despite their enormous appeal, are suffering the negative effects of overtourism. And although as locals we can imagine some of the reasons, we wanted to know the reasons why an American travel guide put Barcelona on this list.
Barcelona, where tourism is not welcome
The mythical image of anti-tourism protesters shooting with an innocent water pistol at tourists sitting in a bar went around the world and now the international press echoes the local population’s discontent with mass tourism.
Fodor’s also cites the demonstrations in Mallorca or the Canary Islands against tourism, and notes that although in Barcelona tourists spent 9.6 billion euros ($10.2 billion) in 2023, an increase of 26.1% over 2022 is proving that the uncontrolled growth of tourism is “a short-sighted strategy.”
The list also mentions the housing issue. The guide criticizes that there are neighborhoods that have become exclusive areas for tourists and that the price of rent in Barcelona has risen by 68% in the last decade, causing many Barcelonians to have to leave their lifelong neighborhoods, often in favor of buyers who acquire buildings for speculative purposes.
Fodor’s also says that Barcelona has more than 10,000 licensed vacation rentals on platforms such as Airbnb and although the City Council has promised to revoke all tourist rental licenses by 2028 and take action against illegal apartments, the same guide quotes Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, a member of the activist group Asamblea de Barrios para el Decrecimiento Turístico, as saying that “this measure is insufficient”.
Should Barcelona be forgotten as a tourist destination?
According to the guide’s critics, a good tourism management strategy should immediately improve the lives of locals, rather than focusing on long-term promises that seek to attract more tourism.
Fodor’s does not recommend boycotting the city, but it does suggest traveling more responsibly by staying in hotels and avoiding illegal tourist apartments; respecting the rules of coexistence and avoiding crowds in residential areas; consuming in local businesses and not big stores and trying to avoid the most touristy areas.
The black list of cities not to visit in 2025
Barcelona is not the only city on this list. In Spain alone, other destinations such as Mallorca and the Canary Islands (Spain) also appear, and others such as Lisbon (Portugal) or Agrigento and Venice in Italy, as well.
Internationally, North Coast 500 (Scotland), Bali (Indonesia), Koh Samui (Thailand), Mount Everest, British Virgin Islands, Kerala (India), Kyoto and Tokyo (Japan), and Oaxaca (Mexico) complete the list of destinations to avoid in 2025.
You can access the full Fodor’s Travel study on their website.