The yawning gap between locals’ and visitors’ consumption is stoking long-standing resentments ahead of an election.

As rain poured into Catalonia’s parched capital, the tourists did, too.

Yet while a damp April brought some relief to the drought-stricken Spanish region — which has been living under rain-starved skies for over three years — the crescendoing tourist season did not.

After all, spring is when visitors start spilling into Barcelona’s streets each morning from cruise ships, hotels and Airbnbs — and consuming considerably more of the city’s water than the average resident, threatening to push Barcelona’s water supply to the breaking point.

The disconnect has locals fulminating. While Catalan municipalities have faced water consumption limits since the region declared a drought emergency in early February, the tourism sector has largely escaped restrictions.

  • iltg@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    i don’t think it’s unfair to want sustainable tourism, it isn’t either do or dont, there are many ways to do it. think airbnb and rising housing costs: residents may want to have customers AND buy a home in their city