Holidaymakers heading to three Spanish hotspots warned amid ‘anti-tourism’ protests

People heading to popular holiday hotspots have been warned to be cautious as “anti-tourism” demonstrations and protests are being organised, with some targeting holidaymakers

Holidaymakers heading to three vacation hotspots in Spain have been warned amid “anti-tourism” protests and demonstrations.

Since the beginning of the year, activists and locals have been calling out their governments for not taking action to diminish the amount of tourists heading to their areas.

Multiple regions across the country have seen protests. 15,000 people took to the streets to demand affordable housing and protest mass-tourism in Málaga under the slogan ‘Málaga for living, not surviving’ recently.

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Over the weekend, protesters were seen spraying tourists with water guns and canned drinks while shouting “tourists go home” in Barcelona.

There has also been mounting tensions and concerns from locals in the Canary Islands as the area is said to be exceeding its capacity.

Protesters there have been demanding an eco tax be charged to incoming tourists. 'Tourists go Home' has even begun to trend in Tenerife.

Some frustrated locals have taken to social media to share their angry and concern.

One person said: “Spain: 84 million tourists. Canary Islands : 15 million tourists. “We absorb an enormous amount of this tourism for little in exchange: shit jobs and wages, territorial destruction, ecocide and terrible public services because ‘we don't pull our weight’. When will this madness end?”

They later added: “We receive half the tourist numbers of Greece in an archipelago that isn't even 10% the landmass... how are the Canary Islands not facing imminent collapse? we can't have motorways running through everything, there'll be nothing left!”

A second person said: “Stop!!! No more hotels and less tourism in the Canary Islands. Tourism moratorium now!!”

With another person stating that “islanders can’t live there due to tourism”.

Spain is set to receive over 100 million visitors this year, with some people demanding that cities stop spending money on attracting tourists.

Barcelona mayor, Jaume Collboni, recently announced that licences for the city’s 10,000 legal tourist apartments would not be renewed when they expire in 2028.

However, this has not been received positively by everyone. Martí Cusó, a Barcelona housing activist, and an organiser for a demonstration with the slogan ‘Enough! Let’s put limits on tourism,’ said: “We need to stop spending €80m a year on promoting the city abroad.”

He added: “It’s not just about limiting tourism but guaranteeing the rights of the people who live here.”

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