84% of MWC Barcelona congress attendees view negatively the elimination of tourist apartments in the city starting in 2028, according to a survey released by Apartur, the sector's association. The survey also includes a demand for regulation for HUTs, amidst the debate on the future of this type of accommodation in the Catalan capital.
Clash between the sector and the City Council
The response from Barcelona City Council has not been long in coming. Jordi Valls, Deputy Mayor for Economy, has called Apartur's attitude cynical in now demanding a regulation of tourist flats.
"It's a bit cynical that they talk about regulation when for 25 years they have refused to regulate anything" - Jordi Valls, Deputy Mayor for Economy
Valls has framed this criticism in the open debate about HUTs and their fit in the city. The municipal official has defended that Barcelona must find a balance between the economic activity generated by tourist apartments and the housing needs of the city's residents.
The debate on housing, at the center
The deputy mayor has insisted that the city must reconcile interests. On the one hand, the economic impact linked to this type of accommodation. On the other, the pressure on access to housing in Barcelona, an issue that the municipal government places as a priority.
Jordi Valls' statements have occurred during the presentation of a line of aid for housing rehabilitation, in a context in which the city council maintains its discourse of prioritizing residential use over tourist use.
The Apartur survey once again places the focus on the impact of tourist accommodation during major international events such as the Mobile World Congress, while the City Council maintains its defense of a housing policy aimed at containing the pressure on the city's residential stock.