Barcelona wants fewer tourists, but more big-spending visitors.
The Barcelona Tourism Office is dumping its “Visit Barcelona” slogan and replacing it with "This is Barcelona".
The change comes amid growing anti-tourism protests in the Catalan city - which has been a tourism magnet for decades.
But locals have tired of cruise ship visits and visitors on a budget self-catering in rental properties.
“This is Barcelona” is set to launch on August 22, Catalan News reports.
It coincides with a focus on quality tourism rather than the quantity of visitors.
The launch of the new motto will align with the first day of the America’s Cup preliminary regatta.
The new slogan is an attempt to focus on what Barcelona really is, which its leaders say includes being "a city of traditions, sports, gastronomy, museums, and music festivals".
"A real and specific Barcelona, and not just a landscape [is the focus]," said Mateu Hernández, general director of the Barcelona Tourism board.
"We put an end to a global call for them to visit us, and we do a step forward in highlighting us," Hernández said.
In 2023, Barcelona received more than 12 million tourists, and government officials expect the number to increase in 2024. There have been several protests in the city about the impacts of mass tourism.
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