La Vanguardia, the leading newspaper in Catalunya, recently published an extensive interview with Ezequiel Vallejo, founder of Lodging Management, our tourism rental management company operating in Barcelona and Madrid. In the interview, Vallejo analyzes the current situation of the tourism apartment sector in the city, denounces what he describes as a smear campaign against it, and warns about the serious economic and social consequences these apartments’ disappearance would have for Barcelona.
For more than fifteen years, the tourism apartment sector in Barcelona has faced constant regulatory pressure and growing social stigma. For Vallejo, this situation is not accidental. As he states in La Vanguardia: “There is a clear demonization of the sector,” arguing that a public perception has been constructed that is far removed from reality. According to the founder of Lodging, a complex debate has been oversimplified into an easy but deeply unfair narrative that criminalizes an entire economic sector without taking real data into account.
Deconstructing the Myths
One of the major myths surrounding tourism apartments, in his view, is their alleged incompatibility with civil society. The image of binge-drinking tourists frequently recurs in public discourse, yet the sector’s data contradicts that idea. As Vallejo explains in the interview: “There is a demonization of the sector based on the belief that only drunk tourists stay in tourism apartments, and the reality is completely the opposite.” In fact, 80% of guests are families—a profile seeking space, reasonable prices, and a travel experience different from that offered by hotels.
The activity of tourism apartments in Barcelona has not grown in recent years. It has remained frozen since 2015, when licenses were capped at around 10,000. Rather than creating an uncontrolled market, this lack of growth has produced the opposite effect: increasing professionalization among operators. “It has not allowed growth, but it has made existing operators become more professional,” Vallejo explains, noting that today the sector includes small property owners, specialized companies, and even hotel groups managing this type of accommodation.
The Impact of Eliminating Tourism Apartments
From an urban and economic perspective, Vallejo warns that eliminating tourism apartments would be a strategic mistake for Barcelona. “A city like this cannot afford that luxury,” he states in La Vanguardia, referring to a scenario dominated exclusively by hotels. In his view, reducing supply would concentrate power in a single sector and drive away a key visitor profile: families who cannot afford hotel prices. “If only hotels remain, many families will not come,” he summarizes.
According to Vallejo’s estimates, the consequences of a complete elimination would be devastating. In statements to La Vanguardia, he warns: “When tourism apartments disappear in Barcelona, 40,000 people will lose their jobs,” referring to both direct and indirect employment linked to the sector. In his opinion, the hotel industry would not be able to absorb this impact, particularly in a city where new construction is also restricted.
The sector’s economic contribution extends far beyond accommodation. Tourism apartments generate a broad network of indirect activity, including cleaning services, maintenance, technology, transportation, decoration, and laundry services. They also contribute significantly to public finances. Vallejo notes in the interview that Lodging collects between €90,000 and €100,000 every six months in tourism taxes—an amount he considers would be difficult to replicate. “It’s a driver of wealth: we pay taxes and generate employment,” he states, defending the sector’s role as an economic force. These tourism taxes, moreover, will double beginning April 1st.
A Broader Housing Debate
Far from denying the existence of a housing problem, Vallejo argues that tourism apartments have become an easy scapegoat. “There is a serious housing problem, and we are the easy target,” he says in La Vanguardia, convinced that the debate has been oversimplified to the point of obscuring the real structural causes.
Instead of drastic solutions, he advocates for coexistence between different models, strict regulation, and a data-driven approach rather than one based on prejudice. Barcelona, he recalls, was a pioneer in Europe and globally in regulatory matters, and Apartur (the sector’s association) has played—and continues to play—a key role.
In a context of profound changes in global tourism, the message from our founder is clear: Barcelona needs options, diversity, and balance. Above all, it needs an honest debate that takes into account the real impact of political decisions on the economy, employment, and the city model.
At Lodging, as a tourism rental management company with more than 20 years of experience in Barcelona, we fully share this vision. We will continue working for a professional, regulated sector that adds value to both the city and its visitors.
You can read the full interview in La Vanguardia.
