Barcelona tips

Jul 19, 2024 • 5 min read

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, July 26, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

Barcelona’s tourism board is replacing its 15-year-old slogan ‘Visit Barcelona’ with ‘This is Barcelona.’

From protesters in Barcelona to large cruise ship bans and visitor taxes in Venice, the world's hottest destinations are making it clear that overtourism negatively impacts the quality of life for locals.

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Thousands of protestors marched in Barcelona over the weekend against overtourism.

The annual Spanish Grand Prix significantly boosted Barcelona’s hotel metrics in June 2024, setting new records for average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR).

Barcelona’s tourist tax is one of the fastest rising in Europe.

Another month, another story about a destination cracking down on the short-term rental market.

The homemade videos came through in quick succession on the camp WhatsApp channel. Seven tiny sailboats with children manning them dotted crystal blue Mediterranean waters. The children were in pairs, seemingly matched according to age. Then there was my little one, the 5-year-old, who had insisted on tagging along with her 9-year-old brother, and the camp had agreed.

Looking to combat soaring housing costs, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni announced plans to ban short-term apartment rentals by the end of 2028.

Airbnb’s head of policy Jay Carney said recently that New York City Local Law 18 is an example of how not to regulate short-term rentals. But Barcelona officials don’t agree – and think regulations can go further.

After years of visiting Europe from LA, I took the plunge and relocated to Barcelona in 2020.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has just announced “The World’s Best Restaurant” as part of a prestigious awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. This year’s winner is Disfrutar in Barcelona, Spain.

Europe has a wide variety of low-cost airlines that offer service on unique routes and fares that are significantly lower than full-service, legacy airlines. A few, such as Vueling, are even bookable through major airline loyalty programs, so you can redeem transferable points for flights on them. But, as TPG's senior points and miles writer Katie Genter learned this spring, Vueling can be difficult to deal with if anything goes wrong during your trip.

Emirates and Avianca customers will enjoy seamless connectivity on select routes. Emirates customers to access Medellin and Cali in Colombia via European gateways. Avianca customers flying through select European points to access Dubai.

As I boarded the Caledonian Sleeper with my family at Edinburgh Waverly on a cool Scottish summer night, it was difficult not to get caught up in the romantic quality of this eight-hour journey to London. The train's midnight teal exterior reflected the hue of the sky, and coupled with the vintage-y copperplate gothic font emblazoned on it, the scene felt spliced from the celluloid of a Wes Anderson film. That a kindly bellhop from The Balmoral, our hotel adjacent to the station, loaded our valises off a trolley cart did little to rein in these trappings.

I jump at any chance to visit Barcelona, whether it's for a music festival like Primavera, catching up with friends, or enjoying a solo trip. I love relaxing on the sunny terrace of a tiny bar, people-watching over an ice-cold glass of vermouth and a plate of salty little snacks. That's one of my favorite activities anywhere, but it holds a special charm in Barcelona, where life is lived on the plazas, side streets and terraces.

Inaugural sustainability conference to welcome curated participation.

The industry-acclaimed annual rankings recognise the top-performing hotels for MICE business, as well as the world’s most coveted meeting destinations