Spain tourism crisis continues as travellers rethink trips | World | News
Spain’s overtourism crisis has continued with some travellers vowing to never Spain visit again. The popular European destination has been witnessing anti-tourism protests with prospective visitors from the UK and elsewhere wary of the “animosity” they could face from locals.
Many tourists claimed that they don’t plan on “ever visiting Spain again” and “no longer feel welcome” as Spanish locals urge the authorities to crack down on “overtourism”.
The Majorca Daily Bulletin published letters it received from “concerned tourists” in response to reports of the Barcelona protests, one of which said: “We had been thinking of going on holiday to Spain this year, but not anymore.
“I won’t take my family somewhere that we will receive animosity.
“So really, for the foreseeable future, I don’t see us ever visiting Spain again.”
Another traveller, who said he would be visiting Majorca later this month, wrote that he was “disappointed” with the “lack of courtesy some people are being shown” and “may never return… if I believe I am not welcome”.
A commenter on the article shared that sentiment, saying: “This is the first time we have felt concerned about how we will be welcomed to your island.
“We realise that we will probably have a great holiday as usual but if we return feeling threatened in any way, we will cancel our September holiday never to return.”
According to the data from local media, Spain may surpass last year’s record-breaking 85 million visitors and could top 90 million by the end of 2024.
A large number of protesters thronged the streets of Barcelona over the weekend as they marched against “mass tourism”.
Many holiday destinations popular among Brits including Malaga, Mallorca, and Menorca have been raising concerns about overtourism.
The Balearic Islands have implemented restrictions on street drinking and party boats to curb alcohol-fueled holidays.
Maria Frontera – the president of the Mallorcan Hoteliers Federation who previously called for a “strategic plan” to tackle the “critical situation” of tourist overcrowding – admitted there had been a decline in bookings to the island – though she blamed the weather and the Euros rather than the protests directly, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports.
