Barcelona has joined Spain's war on tourists: the mayor promises to expel AirBnb from the city by 2029. What is known

The authorities of Barcelona, one of the most popular tourist cities in Spain, are planning to ban the use of AirBnb, a service designed to rent apartments and houses by travelers. This decision is due to the rapid growth of rents for indigenous residents.

When the relevant bill is approved by the Generalitat of Catalonia, the government will not grant new licenses to the company or extend existing ones, the Daily Mail reports. Mayor Jaume Collboni promises to remove all tourist apartments by 2029.

According to a government official, this step will help make Barcelona more accessible to Spaniards, especially young people. After all, over the past ten years, rents have increased by 70%, while the cost of buying an apartment has increased by only 39%.

"We need to increase the diversity of housing so that people don't leave the city and housing prices don't rise and start falling," Jaume Collboni said.

Despite the positive intentions of the Barcelona mayor, not all government officials support his idea. A council member from the separatist party Together for Catalonia, Damia Calvet, believes that his plans are too "ideological" and "not based on legality or rent regulation."

The war on tourists was first started by the former mayor of Ada Kolau. She banned apartment owners from renting single rooms to travelers. Also, the official introduced a "tourist tax", according to which travelers must pay extra money for each night of stay in Barcelona.

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