Special management plan for commercial establishments selling gifts and souvenirs

In 2018, Barcelona City Council approved a modification to the “Special management plan for commercial establishments selling gifts and souvenirs in the City of Barcelona”, in order to respond to the progressive increase in tourism in the city and the fact that tourism is no longer seasonal in nature, while improving the coexistence of tourism activities with the daily lives of city residents who live and work in areas attracting large numbers of visitors.

The first plan was approved in 2008, with the aim of limiting the presence of new souvenir shops in certain urban areas of the city that were starting to suffer the effects of mass tourism, due to the negative impact of those shops on the urban landscape and in urban areas of special cultural interest. The activities listed in the regulation include everything from the sale of typical craftwork souvenirs, shirts and caps to articles for the home and tableware, as well as jewellery and leather goods.

It was initially implemented throughout Ciutat Vella and in the areas around Park Güell and the Sagrada Família. The document also established some protection zones around buildings listed as Sites of National Cultural Interest (Level A). Later on, in 2012, as a response to the increasing interest shown by tourists in the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona City Council extended the protective perimeter around the Sagrada Familia, in a subsequent modification to the plan.

The main feature of this modification was the extension of the city's special protective perimeters which limited the opening of this kind of establishments. It included the areas around the Sagrada Família and Sant Antoni, in the Eixample; the area around Camp Nou in Les Corts: the areas around Park Güell in Gràcia and Horta-Guinardó; and the area around Casa Vicens in Gràcia. This change in the regulations was also used to adjust current perimeters, surroundings and areas; to improve the protective areas around buildings listed as Sites of National Cultural Interest (Level A) and to clarify current regulations.

The plan also aims to protect the commercial fabric of the city’s neighbourhoods and prevent this type of establishment from displacing traditional commerce, with all the inconvenience this brings to the quality of people's lives.

Sagrada Família

The protective area around the Sagrada Família has expanded to include the whole of Avinguda Gaudí (zone 43) and six further blocks in the area delimited by Passeig de San Joan (zone 42), Avinguda Diagonal, Carrer Nàpols and Carrer Rosselló. A total of 15 city blocks in these areas are included in the zone where the opening of new establishments selling gifts for tourists is prohibited. These new zones are included in the prohibited area under the same conditions as the rest. In other words, the same regulations apply.

Sant Antoni

Given the increasing pressure from tourism that is now being detected in Sant Antoni, especially around the new market, the Government Commission has also agreed to extend the current moratorium on opening souvenir shops in this area, which began in 2017, and to include it in the plan's protective areas. Specifically, the perimeter included in the modification is delimited by the following streets: Casanova, Ronda Sant Antoni, Avinguda del Paral•lel, Carrer Calàbria and Carrer Sepúlveda (zone 41). It covers a total of 23 Eixample blocks, including the market itself.

Camp Nou

The great attraction of Camp Nou for visitors also makes it necessary to delimit a management area for souvenir shops along the main access route of Travessera de Les Corts, from the Les Corts metro station. Easy access by public transport and on foot means that this route is attracting more and more people. For this reason, the moratorium area (zone 44) includes the perimeter delimited by Travessera de Les Corts, below Camp Nou and up to the metro station.

Park Güell

It has also been noted that the forecast pressure from tourism on Park Güell, in the districts of Gràcia and Horta Guinardó, requires an extension of the current moratorium zone. For Gràcia, the modification proposes an extension of the current moratorium zone, so that it includes the normal routes from the nearest metro stations to the Park enclosure. This area includes the zone delimited by Travessera de Dalt, Avinguda Vallcarca, Passeig de la Mare de Déu del Coll and Carrer Santuari (zone 45). In Horta-Guinardó, the delimited area is between Travessera de Dalt and Plaça Alfons X (Ronda Guinardó with Carrer Praga) and the modernista complex of Sant Pau and its surroundings (Av. Gaudí) (zone 47).

Casa Vicens

Casa Vicens, designed by Antoni Gaudí, opened its doors to the public in November 2017, and is expected to attract a large number of visitors every year. For this reason, it was considered appropriate to extend the special protection area for limiting the negative impact of souvenir shops, in an area that has already started to suffer an increase in tourists due to the opening of this monument. The new protection zone is triangular, delimited by Carrer Gran de Gràcia, Avinguda de la Riera de Cassoles and Rambla del Prat, basically including the routes from the L3 metro stations of Lesseps and Fontana, as well as the Gràcia railway station (zone 46).

Further information

Special management plan for commercial establishments selling souvenirs in the City of Barcelona