Eerac and I are literally in the process of booking a holiday rental apartment in Barcelona for an upcoming vacation with our respective partners. Today, this photo showed up a the top of the PAN inbox. Matt from the U.K. says he spotted it hanging from a window in — of course — Barcelona.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Barcelona…
(photo credit: cremefee)
(photo credit: Jen SFO-BCN)
(The Rambling American — Tourist Terrorists)
I feel welcome already. Now, on to the Gaudís!
related: Abbey Road Tourist Delirium
108 responses so far ↓
#1
Rice
I’m really looking forward to my holiday in Barcelona later this year.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:42 pm rating: 90
#2
SeeYouInTea
This is exactly the reason I won’t be going to Spain. Not because I’m poor or anything.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:43 pm rating: 90
#3
Rei
Yeah, because they totally don’t need tourist dollars in their current financial crisis. Fine, fuck ‘em. Don’t go and wait until they beg for tourism.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:45 pm rating: 91
#4
SnarkKitty
So, this guy isn’t getting the price he wanted for his place?
Love Barca and can’t wait to visit there again.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:49 pm rating: 90
#5
John
I thought they’d welcome more tourists as it keeps all the catalan street muggers in business!
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:50 pm rating: 90
#6
AM
I was in Barcelona for business in 2010 and they really really hate Americans! It was so awkward.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:54 pm rating: 90
#7
kellita
I’ve been there some months ago and I tell you, some of the Catalans are not very kind to tourists. And beware of your bag and IPhone.
Mar 22, 2012 at 8:59 pm rating: 90
#8
joshua
No Orwell references? Do people even his works aside from 1984 any more?
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:02 pm rating: 90
#9
divvitar
Apparently Al Quaeda is booking tours in Spain. Must be a growing problem.
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:02 pm rating: 90
#10
jimmy
just south of Mazatlan, Mexico there was a giant wall that had been painted with the message in spanish, “if you sell your homes and land now, you can buy a new truck and move to the city. In ten years you will not be able to afford to fix that truck. Your children will become slaves in the hotels changing the dirty sheets of the tourists.” or something close to it….. yes they are right.
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:05 pm rating: 90
#11
La_Mariposita
I went to Spain. I absolutely loved it. I did experience anti-American sentiments, but I expected it, so whatever. I hated Paris, however, and while I experienced less blantant anti-American sentiments (which is surprising, given their general attitude towards us), I found the people to be rude and smelly, and the City of Love appeared more like the City of Garbage to me. *shrug* I will stick to Central America; it might be more dangerous, but the people are amazing.
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:14 pm rating: 90
#12
lilgreenfish
Tourists can be annoying. Necessary, but annoying.
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:18 pm rating: 90
#13
kermit
Perhaps people would dislike American tourists less if:
(1) Americans actually bothered to learn a few basic phrases of the local language, instead of expecting everyone to speak English
(2) Americans would stop voting for and electing stupid and embarrassing politicians
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:22 pm rating: 90
#14
Christina
Wow. I was just in Barca in early February, and I missed all that. What I did *not* miss was really good tempranillo. The Gaudi stuff is fab; but so is the Miro museum in Parc Montjuic and the port area near Geary’s fish. Check Atlas Obscura for a few POIs. You’ll have a blast!
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:34 pm rating: 90
#15
Scott McD
It is fair to note that finding some graffiti and P-A notes doesn’t make for an entire region’s people. Just like You Americans aren’t all fat cowboys!
Mar 22, 2012 at 9:50 pm rating: 90
#16
Renee
I went to Barcelona a couple of years ago, i loved it
everyone picked up that I was an aussie and were mostly really friendly (the dudes selling stuff were a little much ‘special aussie rate!’ etc.)
not as friendly as the people in Japan though – you wouldn’t believe how many people stopped to help us in japan – and when they realised that we spoke a bit of Japanese it was even better (though really, they gave me more credit then I was due lol, def not fluent) I was happy when I was able to help some Japanese tourists in Akihabara locate a maid cafe – they didn’t speak english but turns out I knew enough Japaneses to direct them (the sushi guy they were asking for directions was trying to send them to the Gundam cafe, not exactly what they were looking for!). Apparently I am an ‘amazing foreigner’ for helping them out
Mar 22, 2012 at 10:31 pm rating: 90
#17
Divya
I’ve been in Barcelona, holidaying for a week. Loved the city – it is near the top of the cities I would love to go back to once I have seen all the places I want to. And the people were amazingly helpful, with a couple of exceptions – most of the exceptions were non-spanish. Btw, I am an Indian, and it was good fun to meet, on the very first day, a turkish worker in Barcelona who helped us around, just because he is a Bollywood fan
Mar 22, 2012 at 11:09 pm rating: 90
#18
Isabella
I was on holiday there for two weeks and loved every minute. Every interaction I had with locals was really great. But I’m Canadian so everyone loves me anyway
Mar 23, 2012 at 6:21 am rating: 90
#19
Meg
I’ve never quite understood people hating on tourists. Sure, they crowd up the metro/subway/etc, but they also put a lot of money into the economy. I’m from DC, and when I went back a few years ago, people gave me crap for being a ‘tourist’! I agree it’s nice to read up on local customs, how to work things like public transport, and if you don’t speak the language, to learn a few key phrases to get around. Otherwise, be happy people want to visit your city!
Mar 23, 2012 at 6:40 am rating: 90
#20
Kate
Wow, I live in a part of the world that really relies on the tourist dollar. It is sometimes taken somewhat ungratefully by certain members of the community, but I really cannot imagine what it is like to shun visitors completely. Go be a hermit in a cave if you can’t deal with strangers.
Mar 23, 2012 at 6:47 am rating: 90
#21
Tiaras
As a Spaniard who was born and lived for 20+ years on a bordering region to Catalunya (Barcelona being its capital city) I can sadly say that while some ‘catalans’ are chilled out, friendly and nice, most do have a way too high self-esteem. They do not hate only foreigners, they hate other Spaniards as well and have been trying to somehow segregate from the rest of the country for years. Speaking Spanish as a tourist in Barcelona doesn’t really help much, since they refuse to speak it themselves… Knowing a few basic words in catalan may help you, though. And good luck on renting an appartment! If you need any help, feel free to contact me, I love your site
Mar 23, 2012 at 7:59 am rating: 90
#22
The Elf
I’m fascinated that despite all the nationalism, these signs are in English. I guess it really isn’t *all* tourists that bother them, just English-speaking ones!
Mar 23, 2012 at 8:04 am rating: 90
#23
Kristen
I’m an American living in Barcelona with my husband (who is from here). This is one of the reasons we are leaving and moving to the US. I can tell you I’ve been here for almost 5 years and the only friends I’ve made are other foreigners-Catalan people in general are not open AT ALL. Thankfully my husband and his family are wonderful, kind people, but I can’t say that for society as a whole here. Even my husband says that Barcelona would be “one of the best places in the world EXCEPT for the people”.
And by the way, do these idiots who put up these signs have ANY IDEA how much money tourism brings into the city/country in general? How would the hotels/restaurants/shops survive without the infusion of tourists’ money?
Mar 23, 2012 at 10:24 am rating: 90
#24
Patty
Well, I don’t think they are against tourists per se. We do have a similar “problem” here in Berlin. Tourists renting apartements in so-called fashionable districts are forcing out original inhabitants, as well as the students and artists who make areas attractive.
Continually, there have been several complaints from residents of apartment buildings, in which single units were rented to continuously changing tenants.
Mar 23, 2012 at 10:26 am rating: 90
#25
yolanda
So pick another destination when planning a trip, Spain doesn’t want tourism. Fair enough, really, because tourism may be an industry with income, but it certainly has got some huge drawbacks for the people providing the services and living in the area. Unmanaged tourism brings litter, unruly behaviour (tourists on vacation with less inhibitions), criminals looking for victims, and a class system wherein the visitors are a privileged class even above landowners and professionals. Then of course there’s the issues brought up on that succinct sheet of real estate values, speculation, and wiping out local customs and culture. The culture becomes watered down to dishes and costumes and dances without the depth of tradition behind it.
Mar 23, 2012 at 10:55 am rating: 90
#26
Hastor
For everyone that doesn’t understand the dislike of tourists, and say that they need the tourist money, etc…. you need to look a little deeper. Cancun has the same problem. The people that live there are poor, all the places that get tourist money don’t actually live there. The places they did live, they can no longer afford due to the demand from tourists from out of town for them. The only jobs become working for a lowly wage for the rich people that most likely live in other places such as the US. Good luck starting your own business when all the chains have moved in and brought employees with them.
When tourism is handled well, it can help the locals. Florida benefits a lot from this, though a lot of good jobs have been created from it for the locals. Places like this and Cancun, any well paying job has someone flown in from elsewhere, leaving everyone local with a low pay job if any, and unable to afford the house or apt they once afforded, because the value has skyrocketed due to the same tourist attractions that are keeping them poor.
This is a very simplified take on the overall issue, but there is a reason some areas don’t like tourists. They may not be handling it in the best way, and this may not be the entire problem, but there is a story behind the disliking of tourists.
Mar 23, 2012 at 11:42 am rating: 90
#27
HomagetoCatalonia
The first notice is in Barceloneta, a neighbourhood of Barcelona by the beach where local people who have lived there for generations are having to move out because they are priced out, and developers buy up flats to rent as holiday homes. It’s good if visitors to the city can educate themselves about the dynamics here, and contribute in a positive way; if Barcelona is turned into a shitty tourist Disneyland then lots of you wouldn’t want to visit any more anyway.
There’s a video about it here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xceuum_neighbourhood-destroyed-by-gentrifi_news
“Without community the modern world is a lonely place.”
PS The tourist / terrorist notices are painted up by an anarchist squat. They probably won’t like you whatever you do, I’m afraid. Maybe grow punk mullets and give them beer?
Mar 23, 2012 at 1:02 pm rating: 90
#28
crystal
I’m really grossed out by all of the entitlement flying around in the comments here today.
This is a real problem. Not just in Barcelona, but in places all over the world–including in America. But who cares if people are losing their homes, right? As long as you get to feel “welcome” and enjoy your nice, privileged vacation? Gross.
Mar 23, 2012 at 4:38 pm rating: 90
#29
Dan
I saw this sign when I was there.I think its in Barceloneta, the small community by the water.
Mar 23, 2012 at 4:44 pm rating: 90
#30
Abba Bryant
So, what they are really trying to say is:
“We are bitter that our economy is failing and our own socio-cultural fabric is so fucked up that even local Catalan Spaniards are screwing over the people who live in these neighborhoods.
So, tourists, please stay home so that you don’t happen to unintentionally over-incentivize the short term gain of jacking our rent up by offering to pay the owner’s of our properties more than we can afford.
Since we obviously can’t refuse the lure of your easy dollars would you mind just staying home so we can bask in our own self-righteousness and pompous inability to control our own culture of greed.
Really, we much prefer to have a completely collapsed economy without any infusion of your dirty American money – we are perfectly capable of being greedy dicks without your help.
Thanks.”
Mar 23, 2012 at 5:25 pm rating: 90
#31
Abba Bryant
Hey if tourism is ruining your local economy then your local property owners who don’t give two shits about locals and instead prioritize profit are to blame.
Tourists, by the nature of their … touring … can’t help but pay the local demand rate. If the propery owners charged what locals paid, or simply said no to renting properties when a local could be using the space instead there wouldn’t be an issue.
You can’t really knock the general tourist for utilizing what is offered at the rate quoted them. If those rates are unfair to indigenous or local people then blame the landowners, hotels, shop keepers etc.
If *it* wasn’t available to a tourist because *it* isn’t fair to someone living in the community to offer it to someone not from the area then I flat wouldn’t be able to use/acquire/buy/rent *it*.
Odds are if *it* wasn’t even available, then I would never know I couldn’t have *it*.
*it* = anything – stuff, space, time, services etc.
tl;dr – Spaniards – blaming tourists for their own greedy landowners.
Mar 23, 2012 at 5:31 pm rating: 90
#32
Kaytie
And yet, we Americans are constantly told that WE are the xenophobes… *shakes head*
Mar 23, 2012 at 8:07 pm rating: 90
#33
VM
Oddly enough, the only anti-American grumbling I heard in Barcelona was from fellow tourists — a couple of Kiwis on the bus who complained out of nowhere about how Americans make pizza (the ingredients SHOUT at each other) and impugned American football players’ manliness because they wore helmets and padding.
Mar 24, 2012 at 2:52 am rating: 90
#34
Trixie
I think that you all need to stop trying to either:
a) throw a pity party for yourself and whatever country you came from. If you give me some coffee though, I’ll gladly listen to your problems with tourists or why you think Catalans are arrogant.
b) argue with everybody else on this post (yes, I KNOW that you are so much more culturally diverse/smarter/cooler/better than everybody else commenting, it’s okay to be special.)
c) pretending that you are the only person who lives in a tourist city- yes people DO travel to places other than where you live. Shocking right?
I just think we all need to sit back from our keyboards and chill out. Why does “national pride” always need to ruin a good post? These comments are starting to remind me of youtube- a place where trolls make up about 85% of the commenters.
For the record: I understand what all of you are saying-
I am from Ogunquit, Maine, USA, and our streets and beaches are filled with tourists all summer and some of the spring and autumn. They can be slow moving and annoying at times, but if you’re rude to the tourists, they obviously won’t come back, and tourists are literally the only customers of MANY stores here. So if any of you ever stop by, feel free to bask in our kindness (okay that was pretty conceited right there, just come and enjoy our adorable town).
Mar 24, 2012 at 7:21 am rating: 90
#35
Robyn Rocket
Go to Japan! I only knew the very basic Japanese, but I found so many people who enjoyed conversing in English! Japan is where it is at. The people are all lovely and considerate. Just do not go in summer or early fall, the heat is unbearable. I used the word “Atsui” (hot) about a hundred times lol And they will laugh if you are sweaty. If you go and it is warm, buy one of the little handtowels they sell everywhere–it is for sweat! And if you wear anything without sleeves or showing any cleavage, boy will they stare. Plus, my husband and I are quite tall, so a pair of sweaty, scantily clad, ignorant godzilla tourists were still warmly received there. Don’t go to Europe. Go to Japan. (plus, they need the revenue since the tsunami!)
Mar 25, 2012 at 6:14 am rating: 90
#36
Ugly American Too
Well, the comments to this blog certainly prove that we are ugly Americans …
Mar 25, 2012 at 1:40 pm rating: 90
#37
zomboid
spanish tourists are assholes, they flood dublin every summer and crowd every street in the city being loud and obnoxious, so to sum up: fuck you, spain.
Mar 27, 2012 at 9:57 am rating: 90
#38
spainisdumb
If their “socio-cultural fabric” is so easily torn, i think it would be on its way out regardless of tourism. Also, if they want to keep it together so badly maybe they should stop moving out of their own homes and work together to repair the said damage instead of abandoning it and allowing this tear (which they are likely imagining) to completely be reality. morons.
Mar 27, 2012 at 12:57 pm rating: 90
#39
Laura C.
Hahaha, I have my own version of a tourist-hate photo! https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SNnRSb6KC-E/T3IdEVifjaI/AAAAAAAAAcE/umYmxZegShA/s800/200014_503423458722_53100367_30014696_1842_n.jpg.
It was taken when I studied abroad in Venice, and we saw “kill the tourist” graffitied onto a wall. Priceless.
Mar 27, 2012 at 3:05 pm rating: 90
#40
Julie Sheridan
I’ve been living in Barcelona for a year now, and I’ve never seen signs like this anywhere. But it is really hard here as an outsider (and I work full time for a Spanish company, speaking Spanish all day). The problem isn’t so much my white skin, blue eyes and red hair making me a target as an obvious tourist, but more that when I do mix with locals, they’re pissed off I’m here speaking Castilian and not Catalan. Barca as a foreigner ain’t easy!
Apr 1, 2012 at 5:14 am rating: 90
#41
Biff
Balabusta in Blue Jeans is totally right about tourists in general. Want to see European sh!t heels acting like the obnoxious jerks they claim to despise? Go to Thailand. You’ll see European buffoonery on parade like spring break in Cancun but with more child rape.
Apr 3, 2012 at 12:17 am rating: 90
#42
sarah
I do feel a little for their plight…..But personally I don’t know how Barca aren’t doing better at seeming like a crappy tourist destination. You could go to Madrid which [in my humblest of opinions] looks nicer and the people are infinitely friendlier. Or other parts of Spain which are just as beautiful and much less expensive. You probably won’t be robbed by light-fingered Catalans either, result!
Apr 3, 2012 at 11:33 am rating: 90
#43
Marina
I’m from Barcelona and I have to say that there are tourists … and there are tourists. There is a lot of people that when going to a foreign country they suddenly forget their manners … There are tourists that spend all their vacations getting drunk and pissing on the street … obviously NOT ALL tourists do that. There are locals who are rude, obviously NOT ALL locals are rude. In fact MOST of them (tourists/locals) does not but you know, people always remebers the bad exception…
I’m going to tell you one “terror” story about tourists. A saturday when I was going back home from a party late at night I found an English tourist pissing on the metro platform (and I mean ON the metro platform not even from the metro platfom at the rails …). I’ve been severals times to London and I never ever have seen anyone doing that nor I think all English tourists decide to piss on metro platforms all over the world. But yet it happend and somehow if I tell you that you can get the impression that that is what always happens.
I’ve got a friend that lived in the city center in a shared flat with other fellow university students. It was very close to their university. Three years ago the owner decided that he could get more money renting the flat for days to tourists and increased their rent x3. They had to shearch something else far away from the university. It wasn’t a big deal because they were students. But what about if they had been a family living there for all their life?
Apr 4, 2012 at 2:47 am rating: 90
#44
anna
The very best one I saw in Barcelona a couple of years ago: “If it’s called ‘tourist season’, why can’t we shoot them?”
Apr 13, 2012 at 2:30 pm rating: 90
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