Barcelona tourism: Why you should still visit this great city

It used to just be the pickpockets you'd have to worry about. At least, that was the line that everyone would give you before you went to Barcelona: that the petty crime was out of control, that you'd feel hands in your back pockets the minute you set foot on Las Ramblas, that you'd be scammed in some way or another on your first day for sure.

I'm not certain if that was ever true. There was obviously a problem with crime in Barcelona back in the 90s and even part of the 2000s. Anecdotally, at least. You'd always hear stories from people who had had their pockets picked there. I even met a guy who'd been talked into a game of street football near the Gothic Quarter by some locals – he'd scored a goal and been enveloped in congratulatory hugs by his new friends and then walked away happy, only to realise an hour or so later that his wallet was gone.

The city has very much been cleaned up since those bad old days, but it's still a reputation Barcelona carries with it, that you need to be careful there, you need to watch your stuff.

Now, however, there are also other problems to deal with, other issues for potential visitors to take into consideration. Ironically, the increased safety might partly be to blame here, because tourism in Barcelona has boomed. People are flocking to the Catalan capital for the food, for the sights, for the lifestyle, for the weather – and its popularity is wearing thin.

See also: 'Go home': Overcrowding causes angry backlash against tourists

Anti-tourist graffiti has been appearing around the city. Tour buses' tyres have been slashed. There have been street marches to protest the presence of so many tourists in the city, particularly as they begin to pop up in the suburbs, in units and apartment blocks as short-term rentals proliferate. Are you really going to feel welcome in Barca if you decide to visit?

And now there are even more dramas, as the Catalan government has a will-they-or-won't-they flirtation with independence from Spain, as ugly scenes of police clashing violently with protesters spreads around the world, as counter-protesters also take to the streets to make themselves heard, and as the Spanish government declares an end to Catalan autonomy.

You have to ask yourself: is Barcelona the sort of place you still want to go to for a holiday? Is it actually a good idea?

And the answer to those questions, is yes. Definitely. Despite the slim chance of your pocket being picked. Despite the ripples of anti-tourist sentiment. Despite the street marches and violent clashes and uncertain future. You absolutely do want to go to Barcelona.