British holidaymakers vow to 'never return' to Spain after 'bullying' by protesters
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Millions of UK holidaymakers could be rethinking their Spanish getaways amid growing concerns over overtourism. Despite a 10% year-on-year surge in foreign tourist arrivals in April, reaching 8.6 million visitors, and a 7% increase so far this year, with a total of 26 million, the protests have led some Brits to reconsider their summer jaunts, as reported by Birmingham Live.
Brits remain a significant chunk of Spain's tourism, clocking in at over 4.7 million visits, marking a 6.7% uptick. Yet, the unrest has prompted some to alter their plans, with one holidaymaker saying: "I see their point, but I don't rent a property, I use hotels. But I'm not going to stay in a hotel in Spain after this year, I'm taking my accommodation with me so they can't whinge about that."
Another traveller showed empathy towards the local sentiment: "I agree with them to a certain extent. It's the people who buy up residential houses like they do here and in Cornwall and Wales so locals have nowhere to live. Holiday makers who stay in hotels are providing a living for locals and they know that."
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A different tourist pointed out that the real change needs to come from higher up: "Their own governments and councils like those here need to stop the buying up of residential properties by greedy developers and stop the stag and hen parties."
Outcry over the treatment of holidaymakers has led to sharp remarks, with one disgruntled visitor declaring, "There is no need to target all tourists, that's just bullying and aggression encouraged by the TikTok mob.", reports Yorkshire Live.
Furthermore, a vexed tourist stated: "Spent a fortune in Tenerife over the years. Not anymore."
These comments come as activist groups across Spain and southern Europe ready themselves for what's being dubbed as "an unprecedented mobilisation" scheduled for June 15.
The upcoming protests are expected to disrupt holiday hotspots such as the Canary Islands, including Lanzarote and Tenerife, along with Barcelona and Majorca in the Balearic Islands. Representing the Madrid tenants' union, Valeria Racu has urged for rent strikes echoing recent actions in some coastal towns in Catalonia.
Racu delivered an impassioned stance, asserting: "This is the beginning of the end of the housing business," before elaborating, "The beginning of a better society, without landlordism and this parasitical system that devours our salaries and our resources."
Figures released by the union reveal that there are currently 1.4 million Spanish households spending over 30% of their earnings on housing costs, a significant jump of 200,000 families from ten years ago.
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Scottish Sun
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3 hours ago
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Daily Mirror
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