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Travellers were sprayed with water guns and trapped inside restaurants in Barcelona during a protest against mass tourism.

Protestors marched through popular tourist areas on Saturday chanting “Tourists go home”, squirting people with water pistols as they sat at outside restaurant tables.

Some carried signs reading ‘Barcelona is not for sale’ and ‘Dear Tourist: Balconing is Fun!’ referring to incidents where foreigners die from falling off balconies on vacation.

Videos show diners gabbing their ice creams or gathering their belongings and moving away from the shouting protestors, who proceeded to wrap fake cordons around restaurants in the Las Ramblas boulevard.

Thousands of locals gathered to protest against the lack of affordable housing in Barcelona and the high cost of living, which some blame on tourism.

Despite tourists spending €12.75 billion in the Barcelona region in 2023, Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (Neighborhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth) claim tourists overwhelm public services and the profits don’t benefit the city as a whole.

The assembly was one of several groups that organised the protest, BBC reported.

It has also proposed 13 ways the city could transition to a more sustainable model of tourism with fewer tourists. Proposals suggest the city ceases funding tourism marketing, closes cruise ship terminals and further regulates tourist accommodation.

Videos of the protesters quickly circulated on social media, where many people shared their thoughts on the events.

Many claimed that tourists who visit and spend money are an advantage to Spain’s economy and they should not be punished for the lack of housing or high cost of living.

“It is clear that the ones to blame are politicans and business owners, who make this critical situation continue, but locals have spent years demanding a change, ultimately leading to this point of frustration,” a Barcelona local wrote on Instagram.

“Biting the hands that feed them,” another commented.

One person pointed out that the issue was not the tourists or the money they spend, as that is a benefit, but the way larger organisations prioritise the needs of tourists above locals.

“It is obvious that a large percentage of the population lives off tourism. The problem for the people of Barcelona is the prohibitive prices of housing due to tourism.”

Barcelona has long been a popular tourist spot. Photo / 123rf

On Saturday, Barcelona’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, reiterated several measures were under way to reduce mass tourism’s impact on the city.

In June, Collboni said tourist licenses permitting landlords to rent houses to tourists would be stopped by 2028.

Collboni said ending these short-term rental licenses, which currently apply to more than 10,000 apartments, would improve house prices.

The mayor also stated cruise ship passenger number would be limited and the nightly tourist tax would increase to €4 ($7).

Recent research from Google and Deloitte suggests Spain is on track to be the world’s most-visited destination, with 110 million visitors annually.