Throughout July, a series of protests were held in the center of Mexico City. Angry residents took to the streets to march against gentrification, overtourism, and the increased cost of living. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mexican capital has seen dramatic growth in the number of “digital nomads” who have relocated to the city, lured by its vibrant culture, relaxed visa rules, and relative affordability.
Similar demonstrations have taken place in major tourist destinations across Europe. Barcelona, Mallorca, Venice, Naples, Lisbon, and other cities have been battling against the proliferation of short-term vacation rentals, rising rents, and even water shortages caused by the increasing number of visitors. In 2024, Barcelona made headlines when some protesters sprayed tourists with water pistols. In 2025, activist groups from Mallorca wrote an open letter urging travelers not to visit the island during the peak summer season—an attempt to alleviate the worsening cost-of-living crisis, the lack of housing, and environmental deterioration.
Although there are similarities between the movements in Mexico and Europe, one main difference is that locals in Mexico City see gentrification, not tourism, as the main problem: in other words, residents being pushed out of neighborhoods to make room for wealthier inhabitants.
“Although tourism also contributes to driving up prices in certain areas, gentrification agents like digital nomads and expatriates from the global north create bigger, more permanent problems,” says a spokesperson who goes by Luna and wishes to remain anonymous for safety reasons. Luna works for the Frente Anti Gentrificación Mx, a local collective that organized one of the marches in the Mexican capital. “They arrive to the city with more rights and privileges than the local residents, as they can purchase property and afford to pay higher rents in the best areas of the city, displacing the most vulnerable population to the margins.”
Luna says tourism is an important component of the country’s economy. But without proper policies and laws, it can also act as a gateway to gentrification. As President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her desire to turn Mexico into the fifth most-visited country in the world, activists and residents are urging government agents, foreign visitors, and even local businesses to minimize the impacts and make tourism more responsible.
“If there are no regulations around price increases and businesses like Airbnb, it can turn entire neighborhoods into spaces that can only be accessed by the wealthy,” Luna says. “Foreigners are part of the issue, for sure, but they are not primarily responsible; it’s up to the government to regulate this phenomenon and protect the locals.”
First it was water guns in Barcelona. Now Mexico City is protesting tourism and digital nomad regulations.
Photos by Rubi Drama (2); Frente Antigentrificación Mx, Desigualdades QGIS, memetropolitanos, Centro de Estudios Anti-anticomunistas and gentrificacionentuidioma; Frente Antigentrificación Mx, Frente Nacional X las 40 horas, Eduardo Alanis, Frente por la vivienda joven, gentrificacionentuidioma and Terror Restaurantes México
What’s happening to the residents of Mexico City
“After the lockdown, the neighborhood began to change,” says Angelica Uriarte, a local who was displaced by the gentrification in Mexico City. In 2023, Uriarte was renting a three-bedroom apartment in Colonia Juárez, a desirable neighborhood in central Mexico City (next to Roma, Condesa, and the main city park, Bosque de Chapultepec), when her landlord asked her and the other residents of the building to move out. “He told us that the building wasn’t safe anymore, but now they’re renovating it and they’re advertising the apartments at double the original price,” she says.
Uriarte is one of many with similar stories. According to the General Program of Territorial Ordering Project 2020–2035, an urban development report that supports the land management of the capital, more than 20,000 low-income households are pushed out of the city every year due to the increasing rents and housing prices. In the past four years, several boroughs in the capital registered rent increases of up to 20 percent. According to the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals, Mexico City reports the highest rents in the country, with an average monthly cost of about $1,306.44 (24,625 MXN), compared to an average monthly salary of approximately $1,253.19 (23,620.75 MXN).
Uriarte believes that the local government is not doing enough to support residents and that it’s prioritizing profits and foreign investments over housing, which is a human right, according to international law. “They said they’re working on an affordable apartment building for the youth, but that’s barely going to scratch the surface of the issue,” she says. “People don’t want to get houses for free; they just want the rights laws that will allow them to afford a place to live.”
In response to the citizens’ concerns and the protests around the capital, Clara Brugada, head of government of Mexico City (essentially the mayor), launched the initiative Bando 1, a strategy that seeks to control rental prices, prevent people from being evicted, and regulate Airbnb stays and other short-term lettings. However, according to both Uriarte and Luna, concrete actions haven’t occurred, so the effectiveness of the initiative is yet to be seen.
How to be a more responsible traveler in Mexico City
To prevent cultural erosion—especially in Mexico City neighborhoods like Roma Norte, Condesa, and Polanco, which are flooded with expats and thus are losing local flavor to cookie-cutter businesses—tourists can make decisions that prioritize local communities. If you want to participate in a more sustainable type of tourism, follow some of these tips:
- Stay in hotels instead of vacation rentals.
Short-term vacation rentals can be cost-effective for tourists, but they also reduce the availability of long-term housing for residents. Opting for small, sustainable hotels helps to prioritize the well-being of local communities and respect the integrity of neighborhoods. - Shop and eat local.
Choosing small, family-owned businesses allows the money to stay in the community instead of going into the pockets of big international corporations. This not only boosts the local economy by creating more jobs but also offers you a more authentic experience as you engage with the residents and form real connections. - Learn the local culture and traditions.
Instead of replicating patterns and behaviors from your home country, try to immerse yourself in the culture of the city where you’re staying, to help preserve its identity. Educate yourself about the customs and values around you, and try to participate in a way that’s respectful and not appropriative. Frente Anti Gentrificación MX also suggests learning some basic Spanish words and phrases, whether you’re there for a short while or a permanent stay. - Travel slowly and during the offseason.
Although it is tempting to cross as many countries as you can off your bucket list, it’s important to remember that slow travel is better for the environment and the local economy of the place you are visiting. By traveling off-season, you help to provide a more consistent income for businesses all year round, and prices tend to be lower for you.
