Water guns turned on tourists in Spanish cities
Cities across the world are struggling with how to cope with mass tourism and a boom in short-term rental platforms, like Airbnb, but perhaps nowhere has surging discontent been so evident as in Spain, where protesters in Barcelona first took to firing squirt guns at tourists during a protest last summer.
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Scoop
42 minutes ago
- Scoop
Fears Methven Will Be ‘Overun' With Airbnbs
A Methven resident fears an epidemic of Airbnb owners flouting the rules and over-running residential areas. Paul Dixey is calling on the council to act before it gets out of hand in the Canterbury town. Methven, just over an hour's drive from Christchurch, is popular with skiers and holiday makers. Dixey said three of the 15 properties in his new subdivision are being listed for rental accommodation. "The industry needs better regulation. "If they don't act, I fear it will become epidemic and then how will they stop it?" Dixey said it doesn't seem right that properties are paying residential rates to the council but are operating as a commercial property. "It needs to be addressed when the hotels down the road are paying through the nose to be commercial accommodation operators." The growth of holiday rentals has sparked concerns across the country, with councils considering how to regulate the industry. There are about 290 Airbnb rentals listed in Mid Canterbury. Ashburton District Council compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said the council is considering how to handle the increase and impact of the short-term rentals. "Council staff are looking at all these issues currently and have been reviewing work done by other councils. "There is a workshop planned with councillors this month on the wider subject of Airbnbs in our district." Hyde said the district plan allows for visitor accommodation as a permitted activity for up to five guests. "If a property was advertising for more than that, they would need to stop or get a resource consent to operate. The council doesn't comment on specific enforcement complaints, but investigate where non-compliances are found. "Sometimes people make an application once they realise that what they are doing requires consent. "Council has the power to enforce the rules of the District Plan under the Resource Management Act, this can include fines, and where appropriate through the Courts. However, we prefer to work with people to address issues where we can." Dixey said he felt the rules hadn't been enforced so far. "We have no objection to them taking five [guests], but one has been advertising up to 12." He said the majority of groups are fine but you can get "that one group that they have no control over". The rental owners are not onsite so do not know how many people turn up and can mot monitor behaviour, he said. One property owner has applied for a retrospective land use consent to carry out visitor accommodation for up to 11 people. The consent document states the house would only be available for 90 nights a year. Dixie said it could set a dangerous precedent that could result in residential areas being overrun by temporary accommodation, he said. "What's to stop every house on the street applying for consent to be an Airbnb. "You might as well turn the whole place into a commercial accommodation area as the zoning rules aren't worth the paper they are printed on."
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Airbnb responds to tourists' 'go home' chants at huge protest in Majorca
Airbnb has responded after thousands of protesters across the Balearic Islands took to the streets to demand an end to the disastrous effects of mass tourism After thousands of angry residents marched across the Balearic Islands in large-scale protests to call for action against the detrimental impacts of mass tourism, short-term rental giant Airbnb has issued a response. During Sunday's demonstrations, participants pointed fingers at holiday rentals, like Airbnb, accusing them of contributing to a marked rise in local rent costs, which soared by as much as a third within a year in some parts of the Balearics. But with overtourism affecting everything in Spain from local healthcare services to traffic congestion, some amongst the Majorcan protesters just wanted to chant at people in cafes and bars, "Tourists go home." Palma witnessed a huge turnout for the protest on Sunday, with tourists caught up in cafes while indignant Majorcans brandished signs pleading for an end to the influx of cruise ships and planes that delivered 15 million visitors to their shores last year. Police, at times, had to intervene to prevent incensed demonstrators from disrupting diners enjoying their evening meals. Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb's Vice President of Public Policy, expressed his view that the outrage shown by protesters was mistakenly directed, indicating that local authorities have neglected fundamental issues in housing construction and availability, while overlooking the 'overwhelming impact' of hotels on promoting mass tourism. Yedinsky commented: "If cities are serious about easing overtourism, they must address the overwhelming impact of hotels. Hotels have driven 75 per cent of the increase in guest nights in Europe's top ten most visited cities between 2021 and 2023, accounting for almost 80 per cent of total nights across the bloc in 2023 and 2024." An Airbnb executive went on to accuse hotels of being partly responsible for the soaring rental costs that locals at popular Spanish holiday destinations face, citing a lack of new housing construction and an overemphasis on hospitality sector expansion. He stated: "Europe needs more homes - not hotels - yet cities are building more hotels as the construction of housing in the region nears a decade low." The current situation is leading some residents to move back in with their parents or leave as neighbourhoods change character due to incoming visitors. Expressing discontent, one local resident disclosed to the Mail: "I'm protesting because I don't want 80 per cent of my money to go on rent. I don't want to be forced to speak only English or German in my apartment block." Continuing, the resident added: "I don't want my friends to have to go to the mainland when they have children just to be able to afford a dignified life, a lot of us are fed up." Local authorities immediately criticised the protest which inconvenienced tourists on Sunday evening. Government spokesperson Toni Costa responded by saying: "The Balearic government condemns and rejects the minority that insulted tourists,". Officials have reported that a "minority" engaged in offensive behaviour aimed at spoiling the experience of holidaymakers, stating: "This type of behaviour by a minority is not acceptable." Protesters are calling for measures to decrease the influx of tourists to the Balearic Islands, where last year, visitors outnumbered locals 14 to 1. On Sunday, demonstrators brandished placards with messages such as "mass tourism kills the city" and "their greed brings us ruin".
SBS Australia
7 hours ago
- SBS Australia
SBS Filipino Radio Program, Tuesday 17 June 2025
As SBS continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary, let's get to know some of its loyal listeners on radio, social media, and the SBS Audio app and hear how the service has made a difference in their lives. Refugee Week is currently being celebrated, and the Freedom Cup aims to bring together players from refugee backgrounds and government agencies. For today's May Peraan episode, listen again to the story of a full-time government worker who runs an Airbnb side hustle. SBS Filipino 17/06/2025 42:33 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
