Barcelona Will Make a Dedicated Public Square for Selfie-Taking Tourists
Barcelona is creating a large public square dedicated for tourists to take selfies near Sagrada Familia, after widespread anger over mass tourism in the Spanish city.
Barcelona is taking action to ease the congestion caused by millions of people taking selfies around the Sagrada Familia, the unfinished church was has become one of the world’s most popular tourist landmarks.
According to a report by The Times of London, the city is now planning to make a dedicated public square for visitors to take selfies before entering the basilica.
For over a decade, locals have voiced frustrations over the influx of visitors who often block roads and pathways around Sagrada Familia while taking photos. With 4.7 million annual visitors, the Sagrada Familia is Spain’s second most visited building after the Alhambra in Granada.
The Times of London reports that the new square will serve as an “anteroom” to the church, providing a designated space for photography — reducing the impact of selfie-taking tourists on the surrounding streets.
The new square, covering 6,200 square meters, is set to be completed by April next year. The construction, costing €2.7 million, will begin after the summer season in September to minimize disruption. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to manage tourism in the city, with a total investment of €15.5 million in the area around the Sagrada Familia.
The square will be built between the Nativity Façade of the basilica and Plaça Gaudí on Carrer de la Marina — a popular spot for photography.
“It is one of the most photographed spots in Barcelona. In fact, despite [official] safety recommendations, more than a few ‘guiris’ insist on taking selfies on the escalators of the metro station located there,” writes Spanish national newspaper La Vanguardia.
“Guiris” is reportedly a colloquial Spanish word often used to pejoratively refer to uncouth foreign tourists, who are usually of northern European and American descent.
The news comes after a study by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last year revealed that historical and cultural landmarks are at risk of being destroyed as a result of “selfie tourism.”
UNESCO defines selfie-tourism as the practice where travelers visit destinations primarily to take and share photos of themselves, often with iconic landmarks in the background.
In recent years, holiday towns have been forced to introduce hefty fines for tourists who linger “too long” to take selfies in popular photography spots. The mayor of Portofino in Italy announced a rule that will fine tourists $300 (275 euros) for loitering in beauty spots in the photogenic fishing village.
Meanwhile, a picturesque Austrian town that is believed to have inspired Disney’s Frozen erected a fence in a bid to stop tourists from taking selfies.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
