Spain's anti-tourism protests spread
From Barcelona to the Canary Islands, residents took to the streets against mass tourism and its pressure on housing.
Anti-tourism protests spread across Spain, as residents of cities and islands from Barcelona to the Canaries and the Balearics took to the streets in growing numbers to protest the pressures that mass tourism places on housing, affordability and daily life.
The demonstrations, some drawing large crowds, channelled a deepening frustration among locals who feel priced out of their own neighbourhoods as apartments are converted into short-term holiday rentals, driving up rents and hollowing out communities. In some protests, demonstrators used water pistols to spray tourists, a provocative symbol of the tension.
Spain is one of the world's most visited countries, and tourism is a pillar of its economy, employing millions. But the sheer scale of visitor numbers in the most popular destinations has fuelled a backlash, with residents arguing that the benefits flow to businesses while the costs — in housing, crowding and strained services — fall on them.
Local and regional governments have begun to respond with measures including crackdowns on holiday rentals, limits on cruise ships and tourist numbers, and new taxes, as they seek to balance the economic importance of tourism against the quality of life of residents.
The protests in Spain were among the most visible signs of a wider European reckoning with overtourism. For travellers, they posed uncomfortable but important questions about the impact of their visits, and underscored a growing call to travel more thoughtfully and to recognise that beloved destinations are, above all, people's homes.