Barcelona is taking more action to curb overtourism by shutting down two of its cruise ship terminals. The move announced by the city council on Friday will trim the number of active terminals at Europe's busiest cruise port from seven to five next year, CNN reports. City leaders say the measure is aimed squarely at easing the pressure from massive visitor numbers, a persistent complaint among locals who point to overcrowding and spiraling housing costs as apartments are converted into short-term rentals.
"For the first time in history, limits are being placed on the growth of cruise ships in the city," said Mayor Jaume Collboni. The agreement behind the closures also sets aside funds for a new study, which will map out how cruise passengers move through the city—a step officials describe as groundwork for a sustainable mobility plan. The port will undergo modernization efforts to reduce the environmental toll of cruise ships, including infrastructure upgrades that let docked vessels plug into shore power and cut emissions.
These changes come as part of a broader $216 million public-private investment intended to make tourism more manageable for the city. The plan follows a series of moves dating back to 2018, when Barcelona began relocating cruise activity further from urban neighborhoods. The city's relationship with cruise tourism has grown increasingly tense, highlighted by protests in which demonstrators, fed up with crowding, targeted tourists with water pistols. Last year alone, 1.6 million cruise passengers passed through Barcelona, most coming ashore for brief day trips before returning to their ships. From January to May this year, arrivals were up 20% on the same period a year earlier, reports Reuters.
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