PODCAST: Quality tourism in Barcelona – promise or illusion?

Filling the Sink looks at Catalonia's latest tourism strategy and what it means for both visitors and residents

Placards at an anti-mass tourism rally read 'Barcelona is not Disneyland' and 'Make BCN Free Again'
Placards at an anti-mass tourism rally read 'Barcelona is not Disneyland' and 'Make BCN Free Again' / Jordi Borràs
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

September 27, 2025 09:35 AM

September 27, 2025 09:35 AM

'Tourist, go home!', 'Ban Airbnb', and even 'Stop brunch'. Some of the slogans you'll see graffitied around Barcelona, and on t-shirts and placards at the anti-mass tourism rallies that have made international headlines in recent years.

In our first video podcast, Filling the Sink looks at the latest strategy to make tourism work for the people who live here too: a shift toward so-called quality tourism.

 

Press play below to listen, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Spotify

 

Patricia Diez, professor at EAE Business School, and Eulogio Bordas, president of THR Innovative Tourism Consultants, share their insights on quality tourism – is it desirable, achievable, and how to make it work.

Carla Izcara, a researcher at Alba Sud, and José Mansilla, from UAB's Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, offer a critical perspective on the promises and pitfalls of quality tourism.

Oriol Escudé joins host Lorcan Doherty to unpack the idea of quality tourism and what it means for Barcelona and Catalonia.

Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat.

Listen to more episodes of Filling the Sink below or find out more here.

 

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