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A new project tackling overtourism in Barcelona is using “Netflix-style” technology to attract certain types of travellers and remedy the strained relationship between residents and visitors.

At one point, plastic water guns became an emblem of disdain among Barcelona residents who were fed up with their city being devoured by hordes of tourists. The water guns were aimed at unsuspecting tourists in Barcelona’s busiest areas during overtourism protests over the past few years.

Local attitudes towards tourists in Barcelona have soured as visitor numbers have risen to around 16 million each year, in a city home to residents only a tenth of that number.

The city has already taken some hardline bureaucratic strategies to try to limit the volume of tourists, including a ban on building new hotels in the centre since 2015, eliminating 10,000 short-term let licenses by 2028, and reducing its cruise ship terminals from seven to five by 2029.

The city also has a tourist tax of up to €12 (£10.30) per night, one of the highest in Europe, and hopes to raise this to €15 (£13) by 2029.

Barcelona’s tourism board has now decided to take an active approach to changing sentiments on tourism among visitors and residents alike by undergoing a major rebrand.

“For the last 15 or 20 years we’ve only been talking about negative externalities of tourism, which are correct, but we have to also highlight the positive externalities and not take them for granted,” Mateu Hernández, CEO of Barcelona Turisme, told The Independent.

The tourist board has dropped the term “Visit” from its title and has now renamed itself “This is Barcelona”. Language is key here; instead of instructing people to “visit” the city, they are actively trying to influence demand, steering people away from the most popular, crowded spots.

Rather than its website being a destination information platform, it will use new algorithmic recommendation technology to create a curated platform, similar to that which Netflix uses when it recommends what film or TV show to watch next.

The technology learns from user behaviour, enabling it to make recommendations for Barcelona by deciding what to show on the page and in what order, creating personalised plans for tourists and residents alike.

Alongside learned interests, recommendations will be tailored according to timing and Barcelona’s capacity in certain areas, to manage tourism flows.

The tourist board hopes to use the technology to “highlight the city’s unique identity and encourage visitors to discover Barcelona for who we are” without “betraying” the values of those who live there permanently.

Rather than just providing recommendations, This is Barcelona says that it is trying to “select” the type of traveller it wants in the city by only promoting higher quality, culture-based activities and events.

The city is not the first destination to take such an approach. High tourist taxes and visitor caps are used across the world to try to filter out mass-market tourism in favour of a select audience. Destinations like Thailand are currently trying to move away from their backpacker reputation and position themselves as a place for “higher value travellers”.

Barcelona’s tourist board says it wants a tourist that fits the model of the “city we want to showcase: culture, quality, respect and authenticity”. It says it is “not designed to appeal to those only seeking low-quality tourism”.

The recommendations on offer will be suited to the type of traveller who values cultural sightseeing, visiting museums, and spending money in unique restaurants and bars, or is likely to attend events like classical music concerts.

The platform has also scattered reminders across the page for tourists on how to behave respectfully, such as a tip to keep quiet during castle festivals when traditional human towers are being built.

There are also pages on the history of Barcelona, descriptions of cultural traditions and local stories, as well as practical information, such as how to get around the city and accessibility information.

One of the most useful features launched on This is Barcelona is ticket sales for shows and attractions, which are centralised on the website and can also be accessed via the soon-to-launch MyBarcelona app.

Events such as festivals, exhibition openings and tours are placed first on the page, rather than individual places to go and see. Lesser-known places have been placed at the top of the list, while La Sagrada Família, Barcelona’s most visited site, is placed a few pages down.

Mr Hernández explained that massification and touristification are “the enemy”. The tourist board said that social media virality and other media promotion have killed the identity of the city, as many people visit the city through their For You pages, and have an image in their mind of what attractions they want to see, along with the thousands of others who have also seen the short video.

“Come to Barcelona for a concert or an exhibition or an interesting restaurant, and then think on the rest,” Mr Hernández said. “Come for something that is once in a lifetime and then plan a visit to a Gaudi or Gothic [building].”

Read more: Barcelona is overcrowded – is it still possible to be a good tourist?

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