By Omotunde Sotuminu
Beautiful beaches, blue skies and hot weather, delicious cuisine, and inexpensive living expenses are some of the reasons why Spain is beloved by the British. This influx of tourists has contributed around £159,243 million to the country according to The Corner EU, and is responsible for 70% of the country’s GDP.
However, in recent months – particularly in the Canary Islands, Tenerife and Malaga – tourists have taken to the streets to protest against the negative effects of over-tourism in their country. Citing hiked rent prices, overcrowding, irresponsible tourists causing environmental and noise pollution as well as traffic congestion; locals are saying enough is enough.
Sarah Motunrayo,19, from London experienced this hostility on a recent visit to Malaga in February. “My sister and I were walking the streets of central Malaga when a lady driving wound down her video and shouted out that we should leave! It was a shocking and awakening moment for me,” she said.
This hostility is reflected in the recent acts of protests across the country with locals in Tenerife, Canary Islands and Balaerics demanding Brits should leave. Also, in parts of Barcelona, bus routes are being wiped off to not just confuse tourists who will most likely be needing it for directions to get on public transport, but also to get the attention of the government.
This sentiment is shared by 23-year-old Seville native, Carmen Godoy, 23, who regularly visits the Canary Islands. As someone who lives in a region frequently visited by tourists, she asserts that locals are not necessarily protesting against overtourism, but destructive tourism. “What we don’t like is hooligans, and my city is getting full of these. My mum thinks my city is a theme park, which is true,” she said.
Similarly, Blanca Sans, 25, from Barcelona says: “What people don’t realise is that we are dealing with a unique type of tourism which is party tourism. As alcohol is cheaper here, it draws a lot of crowds which disturb the locals. The more parties there are, the increase in businesses which cater to these and we lose the soul of the city,” she said.
Sans added: “Boats and cruises come in with thousands of people, who are all going to the same place. These areas get overcrowded and it becomes difficult for the people who actually live there to use public transport and get around easily. And when they do go out, things are overpriced, such as restaurants. It is also creating a massive housing problem and rents are going up.”
Another crucial complaint highlighted by Spanish locals is the role travel providers play in overtourism. However, Godoy believes this isn’t necessarily the fault of these profit-driven companies. She said: “Although there are so many Airbnbs in the city centre, the issue is with our local government who are exploiting this and not protecting the interests of its citizens.
“And this goes for tourists as well – if the local government were enforcing rules, it would not be an issue. There would be better security, standardised pricing, and restrictions on Airbnb’s in the city centre and our antiques are protected.”
Likewise, this seems to be a common thread argued by citizens across Spain who feel their local government is not protecting them, but putting the interests of tourists first. It is why they are taking to the street in the Canary Islands. That is why there’s a hunger strike in Tenerife. It is why Barcelonians are taking away bus routes in public places – they want the government’s attention and for them to do something. The locals want to be heard.
With tourism being a significant contribution to Spain’s economy, it begs the question of what the future holds? Will this turn potential visitors away? For Godoy, she believes the media is painting a false narrative which is destructive.
“The image they’re portraying is that we are not welcoming, whereas in Spain, we love people. We need tourists. We cannot send tourists home. It is needed for the economy. But we have an issue with those who come here, get drunk and destroy the city. There was one day I couldn’t go home because there were drunk tourists throwing chairs at each other in the middle of the road. That’s when I have a problem,” she asserts.
Nonetheless, Godoy affirms that tourists who don’t do such are welcome: “We love diversity. I see British people wearing our traditional garb and I love it. While others may see it as cultural appropriation, we love it.”
A similar sentiment is shared by Sans who believes that tourism is the bedrock of the Spanish economy but the problem lies in the way tourism is promoted.
“The money we get isn’t going to our country but to the companies which promote tourism. Tourism should be a way to promote a country’s culture not affect the welfare and wellbeing of the locals. For example, in the Canary Islands, locals are forced to live in caves due to increased prices, and they also have the lowest salaries compared to other parts of Spain,” she said.
Looking forward, there is a hesitancy for Brits who have loved vacationing on the Spanish coast over the years to visit again this summer. Motunrayo said: “I think in some ways I feel a sense of anxiety about returning back to Spain. Anyone who knows me knows how much I’ve loved that country so much over the past seven years and have gone to great lengths to learn the language, learn the culture and even considered moving there for some time, so I feel hurt in many ways.”
She added: “However, I am well aware that my experience is not a universal one and the people of Spain can be amazing people. So I constantly remind myself that this one racist incident is not indicative of the entire country, so I hope that in the coming years, I can return back to Spain and have an even better experience than I did last time.”
Nonetheless, these anti-tourism protests have spilled over to neighbouring countries. With Venice introducing a tourist tax which requires travellers to register their visits, and Amsterdam saying no to new hotel openings, the future of European tourism remains uncertain.
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