Tourists in a famous Spanish city have been urged to "go home" by overtourism protesters. The angry protesters, who claim that mass tourism has led to soaring rents and a lack of affordable homes, have ramped up warnings to holidaymakers ahead of the busy summer months.

Their first notable protest of the season took place in Barcelona on Sunday and saw activists stand in front of a tourist bus. They held up the bus at the city's famous Sagrada Familia basilica, shouting anti-tourism slogans while spraying holidaymakers on board with water. The demonstrators also covered the front of the bus with a large banner which read: "Let’s put out the tourist fire. June 15th – Day of struggle against touristification."

As reported by The Local, this suggests that a bigger protest is just around the corner and tourists should expect disruption this summer. The bus demonstration lasted for around 10 minutes before local police arrived and detained around 20 people.

It comes after activist Elena Boschi said at a recent summit in Barcelona that tourists should be afraid of the backlash from local people. She said: "We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation – without fear, there is no change."

Overtourism has become a big issue in Spanish holiday hotspots such as Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearic Islands. Local people argue that it has led to challenges such as strained infrastructure, environmental damage, and housing shortages.

Barcelona has reportedly suffered from the effects of overtourism for at least a decade, which is longer than other areas. There have been a number of protests in the city over the years, with anti-tourism graffiti and slogans now commonplace on the streets.

Just last summer, around 2,800 people marched along Las Ramblas, Barcelona's famous boulevard, demanding a reduction in the number of tourists who visit. The demonstrators also sprayed tourists with water pistols as they sat in restaurants.

Over 15 million people visited Barcelona in 2024. The city has a population of around 1.7 million which means that the locals were outnumbered during the busiest times of the year.

As well as issues with rent and overcrowding, local people worry that overtourism leads to more rubbish and pollution. It can also damage local nature and wildlife.

However, tourism remains vital for Spain's economy. It contributes to around 13% of its GDP and provides jobs to millions of people.