Barcelona protests (Getty Images)

Massive spike in summer tourism has European cities fed up and fuming

Barcelona locals shooting water guns at visitors is a sign that things are getting tense on the continent.

7/10/24 7:30AM

Nearly 3,000 protesters hit the streets of Barcelona over the weekend to rail against overtourism in the Spanish city. Some sprayed water guns at tourists who were eating on restaurant patios (it’s hard to enjoy your tapas while folks are yelling at you to “go home”). Protestors blame visitors for the city’s overcrowding and lack of affordable housing.

Overtourism has gotten worse after the post-pandemic “revenge travel” boom, and popular destinations are rolling out restrictions to curb it.

Major European destinations are struggling: 26 million tourists visited Barcelona last year, sharply up from 20 million visitors before the pandemic. Venice’s visitors soared from 13 million in 2019 to 20 million last year — a 54% jump. Greece’s visitors jumped from 23 million pre-pandemic to 33 million last year.

30%

2019-23 tourism increase, Barcelona

43%

2019-23 tourism increase, Greece

54%

2019-23 tourism increase, Venice

The overtourism has prompted some reactions from the locals. Athens capped Acropolis on-lookers at 20,000 per day, and the entire country is looking to cap cruise ship passengers. Venice went so far as to roll out a 5 euro daily entrance fee.

Outside of Europe, Instagram-famous locations like Bali and Iceland now charge tourist taxes, and Japan’s Mount Fuji slapped a daily cap on visitors and started charging a toll for hiking its most popular trail.

That said, most of the places that struggle with overtourism also heavily rely on tourism spending. Tourism makes up 12% of Spain’s GDP, and Barcelona’s tourists brought $14 billion to the city last year. Now, politicians must juggle between preserving residents’ quality of life and keeping the tourist money flowing.

Jake Lahut

PAIN AT THE PUMP

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Gas station in front of the Gordie Howe International Bridge under construction.

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The UAE’s OPEC exit will hit the group in the barrels

After just shy of 60 years in OPEC, its membership even predating its status as a nation-state, the United Arab Emirates yesterday announced its shocking departure from the oil production group, effective May 1, as the knock-on effects of the Iran war continue to play out across the Middle East and the energy landscape.

For context, the UAE produces the third-highest amount of oil in the group, per April data and OPEC’s latest set of annual statistics.

According to the cartel’s 2025 Annual Statistical Bulletin, the OPEC group was collectively exporting some 19 million barrels of crude oil a day last year, with the United Arab Emirates accounting for some 14% of that daily output.

UAExit means UAExit

The nation, whose energy minister told Reuters yesterday that the decision was taken “after a careful look at current and future policies related to level of production” and wasn’t made following discussions with any other country, made up a healthy share of the group’s total confirmed crude oil reserves, as well.

Of the 12 nations in the core group, which was founded by just five oil superpowers back in September 1960, only two (Iraq and Saudi Arabia) exported more barrels of crude oil daily, pumping out 3.36 million and 6.05 million barrels, respectively, each day to nations around the world.

For its part, the UAE said it will “continue its responsible role by gradually and thoughtfully increasing production, in line with demand and market conditions,” per the official state news agency. Clearly, the nation now wants a little more control of just how much oil it can pump around the world, with the UAE having to eat a large proportion of lost revenues due to its healthy abundance and OPEC restrictions.