by Drought, biblical floods, rising temperatures and angry, anti-tourism demonstrators brandishing “tourists go home” placards. These are just some of the most popular cases in Spain in the last few months.
So, how to turn your relaxing summer break into holiday hell?
Spain is not so anti-tourism. Tourism accounts for around 13 percent of Spain’s GDP and local business owners and politicians alike are keen to highlight the visitors is welcome
Even many exhibitors say they respect tourism – they just want tourists to visit responsibly and sustainably. That means they are often small businesses, staying in locally owned hotels, and getting off the beaten track away from tourist spots.
Below, I’ve highlighted the issues that can affect holidays in some of Spain’s top destinations – and suggested ways tourists can reduce their impact.
1. Barcelona: Airbnb bans and higher tourism taxes
In early July, protesters taking part in an anti-tourism demonstration disturbed tourists on La Rambla in Barcelona. Why the anger? Locals blame unmanageable levels of tourism, particularly in the city centre, for rising housing costs. Chronic water shortages, due to drought caused by climate change, are also exacerbated by large numbers of visitors. (Barcelona City Hall estimates that tourists use almost twice as much water per day as locals).
The city council is well aware of these issues and to combat the housing crisis, mayor Jaume Collboni has announced plans to ban short-term vacation rentals (such as Airbnbs) by 2028. The daily tourism tax will increase d hotel guests too this October, from the current €3.35 (£2.74) to €4 (£3.37) per night for the first seven days of your stay.
So how can you enjoy the city and address the concerns of the protesters? Avoid the already overcrowded city center and discover interesting neighborhoods such as the Eixample, Gracia and Poble Nou. Alternatively, take a train to the coastal towns outside the city.
2. Mallorca: protests and curbs on alcohol
In June, heavy rain caused chaos at Palma Airport. The runway was flooded and water began to fall from the ceiling of the airport. Elsewhere in Spain, heavy rain turned the streets of Murcia and Alicante into gushing rivers. Both of these cases occurred after heavy flooding in Seville in February.
Also in June about 10,000 disgruntled, placard-waking residents took to the streets and beaches of Mallorca in one of Spain’s biggest anti-tourism demonstrations. A smaller demonstration was also held in nearby Menorca and another protest is scheduled to take place in the capital of Mallorca – Palma, on the evening of July 21.
As in Barcelona, much of the local resentment stems from vacation rentals, as well as tourist traffic in some of the rowing resorts. The local government has already introduced new fines and restrictions to curb alcohol-fuelled tourism and a ban on cruise ships docking in Palma is also being considered.
Jaume Bauzà, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Balearic Government, told the Telegraph: “All tourists are welcome and will continue to be so. The only thing we ask of visitors is respect and responsibility. [We need] more sustainable and environmentally friendly [tourism] sector, attracting responsible visitors who care for their environment.”
3. Ibiza: exhibitions and heat waves
Like much of southern Europe, Spain’s State Meteorological Agency AEMET has predicted a warmer-than-normal summer this year for the country’s Mediterranean, as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands. So if you’ve booked or are thinking of heading to the soft powdery beaches or lush interiors Ibiza is famous for, keep this in mind.
Ibiza has also seen its own anti-tourism demonstrations with around 1,000 protesters taking to the streets in late May. Once again, their beef is with the housing crisis and the behavior of the island’s party tourists. “Tourism Yes, but not like this,” read some of the placards.
The problem is exacerbated by the large number of tourists visiting the island compared to the small number of residents – over 3.5 million visited Ibiza and neighboring Formentera in 2023, although the population of the island is only 160,000 -island together.
What can you do? Be prepared for soaring temperatures and avoid larger corporate hotel chains in favor of local businesses. Whenever possible, head away from the tourist hotspots.
4. Málaga: rage on cruise ships
Residents in the Andalusian city of Málaga were also seen taking to the streets, with more than 5,000 demonstrating in July, carrying placards with slogans such as “Malaga to live, not live” and “Salary €1,300, rent €1,100 – how can you live?”
Once seen simply as the gateway to the Costa del Sol, Málaga has only recently become a city break destination in its own right thanks to its Picasso Museum and fine beaches, but this has come at a price .
As in Barcelona, cruise ships flood the city center with short-term tourists who contribute little to the city’s economy while congesting the streets. Meanwhile, according to the National Institute of Statistics Málaga has the highest number of tourist rentals in Spain (both city and county), leaving frustrated locals resorting to plastered holiday rentals with stickers declaring “Go tourists home” or “this was my house”.
The solution? As elsewhere, traveling responsibly and sustainably is essential. Pablo Carrington, Founder & CEO of Marugal Hotel Management, which runs the Palacio Solecio hotel in Málaga, told the Telegraph: “These protests are not about hating tourists because we all know the value that the this industry for the city. The protests are about the need to rethink the type of tourists we want to visit our cities.”
5. The Canary Islands: hunger strikes and water shortages
In April, around 200,000 people took to the streets of Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz, in what was the largest demonstration in the island’s history. A month later, six activists went on a 20-day hunger strike demanding sustainable tourism instead of mass tourism and citing a lack of affordable housing, pollution and water scarcity. They also tried to stop new tourism plans including building a five-star hotel on one of Tenerife’s last unspoiled beaches.
It’s not just about housing and overcrowding in towns, though. The locals, as in other parts of Spain, are fed up with tourists behaving badly. “Closed to tourists” signs can be seen around beaches and elsewhere tourists are further angered by using camping stoves in Teide National Park and leaving their cars in designated park areas.
So you should consider visiting? Yes, absolutely. The Tenerife Tourism Authority told the Telegraph: “Tourists are completely welcome in Tenerife. Tenerife’s strategy is about putting sustainability at the forefront, not only in environmental but also economic and social terms. We encourage visitors to discover the lesser-known parts of our island, enabling all areas to benefit economically.”
