Following news that Barcelona will eliminate Airbnbs from the Catalan capital, now local government is going after tacky souvenir shops and try to reclaim the city’s old town.

Councillor for the Ciutat Vella (old town in Catalan) and security deputy Albert Batlle stated recently that any shops or establishments that “contribute nothing” economically should be “eliminated from the district”.

The councillor cited shops exclusively selling mobile phone cases as an example, but the plan will also clamp down on the sorts of tacky tourist traps that sell bottle openers, lighters and shot glasses. Shops that sell clothing or products with sexist, homophobic or offensive branding or slogans could also face restrictions.

Another councillor Jordi Coronas highlighted shops selling “penises with the Barcelona brand and t-shirts with sexist, homophobic or simply bad taste messages.”

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These sorts of shops, critics argue, “degrade” Barcelona’s international reputation as one of the world’s leading tourist cities.

The future of the old town, Batlle says, should instead be directed towards promoting activities “that are necessary” for local people and add something to the local economy.

The plan will therefore explore ways to “eliminate” or “restrict” these sorts of low-value economic activities from the old town. How exactly this will be done remains unclear.

“Selling mobile phone cases, what does that have to do with anything?” Batlle asked when presenting the plan, adding that he wonders how the sorts of establishments that sell low-cost products can afford to pay monthly rents of up to €5,000 in expensive parts of the city such as Carrer Comtal or Carrer Santa Anna.

The councillor also asked for the involvement of Spain’s tax authorities with regards to this last point, the implication seemingly being that some of these shops are doing something legally suspect.

Nightlife could also be targeted as part of the plans, something that particularly affects the Ciutat Vella. Batlle wants a review of how nightlife is organised in the district. “There are areas of the city that have certain levels of noise and nuisance that locals have no reason to put up with.

“It’s a small, dense city, and it doesn’t have spaces for decompression,” Batlle said.

A few years ago there were more night clubs outside the city, he claimed. But in recent years they have been closing down, which leads to a concentration of clubs and late-night venues in the Catalan capital, particularly in the old town.

For this reason, Batlle believes it necessary to review where nightlife venues are located or to even provide aid to soundproof rooms for locals.

This crackdown comes amid widespread anti-tourism protests in Spain. Barcelona gained international press coverage when protestors sprayed tourists on the city’s famous La Rambla earlier in the summer.

Batlle stressed that Barcelona is experiencing “record” tourist numbers and changes are needed to avoid “saturation.”

The councillor pointed to limitations on tourist groups to 20 people per group as evidence of this, as well as heightened regulation of cruise ship passengers in the city is regulated and the aim of eliminating Airbnb from the city by 2028 as part of the wider plans.