Barcelona quiere comprar locales del centro con la tasa turística para preservar el comercio de proximidad

The Barcelona City Hall is seeking to bolster its efforts in regulating the overwhelming tourism pressure on the city's central district and the disruption of the local commercial ecosystem. Traditional shops are rapidly being replaced by souvenir stores, nail salons, cell phone accessory sales, and cannabis retail outlets. In response, the city council, led by Jaume Collboni, has prohibited the establishment of new businesses such as these.

Now, the administration aims to take another step to restore balance between residents and tourists. "We want to purchase commercial properties to ensure usage is reserved for residents," explains José Antonio Donaire, the commissioner for Sustainable Tourism Management in Barcelona. Specific details regarding when these properties would be purchased (upon vacancy, contract expiration, or sale) and subsequent resale plans have not been disclosed.