Tourism as worrying as corruption for Barcelona residents

TOURISM has become one of the things that worry people in Barcelona the most, an opinion poll carried out by the City Hall has revealed.

While in 2012 the effects of tourism came twelfth on the list of things that worried city dwellers, this year’s poll (carried out at the beginning of June) placed it at third place in a tie with ‘political aspects’ ranging from the situation within the local council to corruption and Cataluña’s independence plans.

While in the past tourism worried just 1.3 per cent of the 800 questioned, this summer 5.3 per cent said the effects were a problem.

Yet the main worry, municipal spokesman Gerardo Pisarello reported, continues to be unemployment and working conditions, at 31.9 per cent, followed by traffic problems at 5.5 per cent.