Framing the tourism degrowth protests in Barcelona and its implications for place branding strategies

Grounded in framing and place branding theories, this study proposes a novel approach to analyse how digital newspapers reported on the protest for tourism degrowth held in Barcelona in July 2024. Using qualitative framing analysis, it examines textual and visual frames of 45 news stories and their accompanying images across 28 digital newspapers. Results show newspapers framed the protest as a conflict. While local, regional and national newspapers focused on the demonstration, several international media oversimplified and dramatized the event, conferring a violent dimension to protesters, whose demands were overshadowed by their visibility tactics to attract media attention. The findings suggest a narrative potentially detrimental to Barcelona’s branding strategy, reflecting tensions between residents and other branding stakeholders. This article provides a multidisciplinary exploration of the coverage of the most significant protest for tourism degrowth in Barcelona to date and offers recommendations for improving place branding strategies in tourist cities.