Welcome to Barcelona. Now leave.

It was a pivotal decision by America’s Cup defender to move the 37th edition from their New Zealand home waters of Auckland to the Spanish venue of Barcelona, but the Kiwi team was able to gain a greater hosting fee to help fund their campaign.

While the Spanish investment is intended to benefit the Catalonia capital, perhaps the politicians need to check in with their constituents, because the locals aren’t too happy with all the visitors.

Simply put, the Barcelona inhabitants are fed up with over-tourism and are taking up extreme measures to say “enough is enough”: from angry protesters firing water pistols at unsuspecting tourists and red-taping the entry to hotels and restaurants, to local government pledging to freeze short-term rentals.

With 1.6 million inhabitants and a staggering 31 million visitors each year, Barcelona joins cities like Venice among other super-popular cities in Europe, that are “suffering all the consequences of overcrowding,” writes the Spanish magazine El Salto.

Tourism in Barcelona has been growing exponentially over the past two decades. By 2019, it had reached more than 17 million visitors a year staying overnight in the city and almost another 10 million staying in the region and spending the day on the Barcelona streets.

The arrival of over 160,000 visitors a day, according to recent figures, has increased housing costs, which already represent a gross percentage of the average salary of a young person, exacerbating the difficulty for the local population to cope with housing payments and daily expenses — and finding themselves forced to leave the city.

Rents, already high, rose by 18% in June alone compared to the previous year in Barcelona and Madrid, according to the real estate website Idealista. The case is the same for local businesses forced out by high costs only to be replaced by multinational chains.

According to a report prepared by the Pompeu Fabra University, two and a half million visitors are expected during the competition months.

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period was from December 1, 2021 until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup could be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the reveal, finally confirming Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup begins October 12, 2024.

Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)

2023-24 Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40): Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 2 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 22-25, 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain

2024 Challenger Selection Series
August 29-September 8: Double Round Robin
September 14-19: Semi Finals (Best of 9)
September 26-October 7: Finals (Best of 13)

2024 America’s Cup
October 12-21: 37th Match (Best of 13)

Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup.

Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Event details: www.americascup.com/en/home