Frayed nerves but lower prices: what the Catalonia crisis means for tourists in Barcelona
Barcelona still teems with tourists in October, many of whom will have enjoyed their break amid the chaos of the Spanish city’s identity crisis.
To describe the events of last week in Catalonia as tumultuous would be understating the case. First off, there was the unofficial and illegal referendum, in which two million people voted for the region’s independence from Spain amid scenes of police violence that sent shockwaves across Europe.
The tremendous wave of outrage culminated in a general strike two days later, during which thousands of Catalans poured out on to the streets to decry the brutality and demand that their voices be heard. The silence from central government in Madrid that followed was deafening, and in the absence of international or even national support, the region’s citizens – many of them still nursing bruises – were swift to mobilise at grass-roots level.
This resulted, the following Saturday, in Hablamos? (Shall We Talk?), a series of peaceful demonstrations that took place in Barcelona and all over Spain and called for dialogue between politicians, parties and people. Those attending wore white, and bore no flags, simply placards asking for discourse. It was a much-needed and big-hearted affair that brought together secessionists and unionists (and a considerable number of agnostics).
Anyone visiting Barcelona the following day might well have encountered the river of red and yellow rojigualdas (the Spanish national flag) flowing down the Via Laietana, which bisects the Old City and leads to the port area.
This was the march for those who wish to stay part of Spain. Police gave the number of attendees as 350,000, while the organisers’ estimate was one million. The truth probably lay somewhere in between, but what no one could downplay was the enthusiasm; tens of thousands of voices joined in song – specifically ‘Viva Espa?a’, the original lyrics to which English speakers were confused to learn do not include the words “We’re all off to sunny Spain”.
On the ground, nerves are frayed. It is thought that hotel bookings are down, as tourists struggle to grasp the situation and how it might affect them. “It’s not looking great,” says Enrique Alcántara, president of the Barcelona Association of Tourist Apartments. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, but it’s too soon to call.”
Perico Cortés, of the En Compa?ia de Lobos restaurant group, is more outspoken: “If independence is declared, it will be the culmination of the destructive events of the last few weeks. This whole process is already affecting our industry, the tourist industry.
“Businesses are being driven out and the fragility of the political situation will drastically affect spending – the economy will slow down, and people will spend less on leisure. They won’t go to restaurants.”
This may, of course, be good news for tourists who may find, in a region where the growing volume of visitors is equally considered a boon and a concern, a quieter city, a greater choice of hotel rooms, and perhaps lower prices.
And many business owners remain upbeat. Vita Thorpe, whose restaurant opened its doors for the first time in the middle of this unsettled week, was sanguine, particularly given that Levante is a stone’s throw from the Pla?a Sant Jaume, where Barcelona’s Hablamos? demo took place.
“Being tucked away in a little square offers some refuge,” she said. “No cars on our block, just the passers-by wanting a bit of escapism. We had a great opening weekend, we had a few protesters step in but no one wanted to talk politics. A cold beer and a bite to eat seemed to suffice.”
What happens next is anybody’s guess, with the Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont attending a parliamentary session on Tuesday evening, after which he will declare independence. Or not.