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Famous Barcelona landmark limits tourists access

Xinhua, April 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The world famous market, Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, in the famed La Rambla of Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday that it was taking action in order to limit the number of tourists visiting and to try and reduce overcrowding.

The market, known simply as La Boqueria and renowned for its colorful and attractive stalls, has decided to prohibit groups of over 15 tourists from visiting during the busiest times of the week, between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time (0700 and 1400 GMT) on Friday and Saturday.

The move is a response to a petition from La Boqueria stallholders requesting a limit on groups to prevent overcrowding. The reason given for the decision is to "assist the proper development of market activity and avoid blockages inside the market."

The ban will be in force at a time when many locals use the market to carry out their weekend shopping. If tourist groups of over 15 people now visit the market during the restricted period, they will be informed of the rules by security guards and escorted out.

This is the latest in a series of measures aimed at tackling overcrowding at some of Barcelona's most emblematic sites. Restrictions have also been placed on the number of people visiting Parc Guell, designed by the famous architect, Gaudi.

However, the move can also be viewed as the latest chapter in an ongoing situation wherein locals are becoming increasingly frustrated by the influx of tourists which has begun to disrupt city life.

The number of visitors to the Catalan city rose from 1.7 million visitors in 1990 to 7.4 million in 2012 and has increased further still in the following years.

This has led to conflicts in neighborhoods such as the 'Barceloneta' where the renting of apartments to visitors has brought complaints about drunken behavior and noise levels.

As well, local police now enforce a dress code to ensure people wear adequate clothing away from areas close to the beach. Endit