The exponential growth of tourism has brought new challenges to destinations; how to plan themselves to avoid overtourism and this new form of intolerance, the so-called tourismphobia. In order to address the negative impacts of tourism and enhance the positive ones Barcelona has developed and implemented a strategic tourism plan. This paper seeks to understand how Barcelona addressed the tourismphobia problematic through planning: how it was done and which results were achieved in the end. This research reveals a clear gap between the planner’s intention and the plan’s implementation.

SUBMITTED: NOV 2017; REVISION SUBMITTED: FEB 2018; ACCEPTED: MAR 2018; REFEREED ANONYMOUSLY; PUBLISHED ONLINE: 15 MAY 2018