Spain limits tourism in order to protect cities

Louise Brown June 8, 2025 Travel Guides Leave a comment

Spain still welcomes travellers — but with new rules to protect its cities and culture. Credit: MStudioImages Signature via Canva.com.

Spain has seen an increase in tourists. Barcelona’s Gothic district is akin to Ibiza during the summer. It is estimated that the country will attract 94,000,000 tourists by 2025. But what happens when the popularity of a place puts it under strain?

These are not isolated cases; they are part a wider conversation taking place in Europe 2025. They are wondering how to preserve a destination, not only economically, but also culturally, and avoid it becoming a backdrop for another person’s vacation. This article will explore Spain’s bold new approach, and what it means to travellers. We will also look at how it could reshape local economies as well as your next vacation.

Travel Guide to Spain’s New Tourist Rules

Here’s what to expect if you plan to visit Spain in the summer of this year or later.

Ibiza has decided to limit the number tourist vehicles during its high season.

From June 15th to September 15th of 2025, there will only be 20,268 nonresident vehicles allowed.
Book your car rental in advance. Register online.

Consider not renting a car at all. You can take local buses or ferries. They are better funded and are quicker than trying to navigate crowded roads.

Officials in cities such as Barcelona have pledged to eliminate short-term rentals worth around $10,000 by 2028.

Some cities have already tightened restrictions. They require special permits for holes, and noisy guests are causing neighbours to become increasingly annoyed.
When looking for an apartment to rent, look at legal tourist apartments. These are usually listed with hotels.

Booking through rural guesthouses and hotels will help the local economy.

The tourist tax is relatively new to Spain but it is growing.

In Barcelona, you can now pay around €3.25 per night, depending on the accommodation.
If you’re having a four-night stay in a hotel, one traveller might pay €13 to €16 in total, then just local taxes.
Valencia and Palma will soon follow suit and there are more regions expected to join the program by 2026.

The local taxes collected will be used for infrastructure improvements in tourist areas and to offset the impact of local services.

The Canary Islands, the UNESCO sites, are limiting daily visitor numbers, so you may need to book entrance tickets in advance or face access restrictions.

Discover lesser-known locations by exploring these boundaries. Spain has over 8,000 villages and towns, and many of them are hidden gems.

Spain’s stand on Overtourism

The tourism industry is Spain’s economic engine. It is expected to contribute more than 12% of GDP in 2023 and provide around 2.5 millions jobs. On paper, any effort to slow visitors down is a risky decision. But this is when things become more complex.

Long-term renters in places like Barcelona and Palma have seen rental costs skyrocket. Housing costs increased by more than 40% over the past five years. The conversion of entire buildings into Holiday rentals has hollowed out whole neighbourhoods.

When cities raise taxes or limit Airbnb, they aren’t just trying to reduce your income; they are trying to rebalance local economies.

Here are some rural opportunities that will become more interesting as hotspots tighten their rules. Welcome mats are being rolled out in less-visited cities and villages, allowing digital nomads as well as slow travellers to enjoy the region.

The cruise industry has even proposed caps for cruise ships, encouraging guests to stay longer at destinations inland. Travel that is low-impact and high-value.

Travel is welcomed, but it should not be at any cost.

Spain has now joined other countries, such as Greece and Italy, in implementing new regulations to curb overtourism. It would be a combination of crackingdown on unauthorised cars and coastal zones, to regulating Airbnb style rentals. Ibiza will, for instance, limit the number tourist vehicles that can be rented on the island during the summer. In Barcelona, officials have committed to removing nearly all short-term rentals licenses by the year 2028.

The new rules do not aim to drive people away but to protect those places that attracted you to visit in the first instance. It is evident that tourism can thrive while not destroying the local culture.

The shift in the travel industry is an invitation for travellers to explore more, to slow down, to discover places that are less well-known and to keep in mind that even hidden experiences can have a tale, if you’re willing share your space and listen.