Why would a tourist in Barcelona get sprayed with a tiny water gun? And why did giant ants march through Menorca just a few days ago? It sounds silly at first. But the feeling behind it is serious. In parts of southern Europe, people are pushing back against overtourism, not because they hate visitors, but because they feel their own homes are becoming harder to live in. (apnews.com)
Picture a simple summer evening. You arrive at a beautiful old neighborhood. Your rental is cheap. The street is full of suitcases, late-night voices, and people taking photos from every doorway. For a traveler, it feels lively. For the person who lives upstairs, it may feel like the building is no longer a home. That is the heart of the problem: housing, noise, crowding, and the feeling that daily life is being pushed aside. (ajuntament.barcelona.cat)
In Barcelona, water guns became a protest symbol after anti-tourism activists first used them in the summer of 2024. On June 15, 2025, protesters in Barcelona and Mallorca used them again during coordinated demonstrations that also connected with actions in places like Venice and Lisbon. Barcelona’s city government says it will not renew 10,000 tourist-flat licenses when they expire in 2028, linking tourism control to the right to housing. (apnews.com)
And in Menorca, on June 13, 2026, protesters used ants as a symbol of collective action. GOB Menorca says tourist numbers have risen about 80 percent in 15 years, some beaches have reached 400 percent of carrying capacity, aquifers are declining, and 2025 set another annual tourism record. (english.gobmenorca.com)
So maybe the new travel manners are simple. Stay in legal places. Keep your voice down at night. Use water carefully. Travel off-peak when you can. A good trip is not only about what you see. It is also about how lightly you stand in someone else’s everyday life.










