Barcelona residents go against “Elitist” America’s Cup sailing race

With the America’s Cup quickly approaching, Barcelona have voiced its opposition to the tourism that comes with it. 

The America’s Cup sailing race starts in Barcelona today and brings with it a host of problems for the hosting city.

Barcelona is hosting the 2024 America’s Cup sailing race

In 2022, Barcelona’s former mayor, Ada Colau, fought off competition to secure host city status in 2022 from both Valencia and Malaga, with Valencia previously hosting in 2007 and 2010. 

In hosting the elite sporting competition for the mega-rich, Barcelona hopes to attract “quality rather than quantity” tourism and bring a greater influx to its economy. 

Barcelona residents voice their opposition to tourism attracted by the race

However, this isn’t a shared dream amongst all the residents of the city, with some of those who live in Barcelona voicing their opposition to the boat race.

A group of 60 residents from Barceloneta, the neighbourhood adjacent to Port Vell, came together in protest, forming the group Platform Against the America’s Cup.

A spokesperson from the group, Esther Jorquera, stated “It will bring nothing but every sort of misery to the city,” describing the event as “elitist and opaque”.

Barcelona residents feel the effects of tourism

Additionally, other locals have claimed they are being pestered by estate agents and spectators wanting to buy their homes to cash in on the event and get in on the action, which the residents state is pushing up their rents.   

The elite sailing event is sponsored by the luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton and attracts the highest class of countries, including the Emirates Team New Zealand, the UK team, Italy, Switzerland, France and the US, as well as promising to attract a “better”, high-spending type of tourist.

Campaigners believe otherwise, instead saying the event will bring more people to a city already struggling to cope with the mass of visitors, and the effects of tourism, including much of the local population being driven out due to it.

Last year, Spain received a record 85 million international tourists, with Barcelona seeing more than 12 million people visit last year, and that number continues to grow through this year.

The city’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, has taken steps to support the locals and residents, including his plan to end apartment rentals to tourists by 2028 and his plans to raise the tourist tax for cruise passengers who visit Barcelona for less than 12 hours.