‘Tourists go home': Inside the angry protests on Spain's holiday islands
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Daily Record
27 minutes ago
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'I ditched UK for Spain six months ago but found it was 20 years behind'
EXCLUSIVE: Six months ago, Mark Danby left the UK behind for the sunnier climes of Spain, uprooting his life and moving to Manilva, but noticed a certain "contrast" between the two countries. A British expat residing in Spain has declared that the European country is "20 years or so behind the UK" when it comes to one thing. In a daring decision six months ago, Mark Danby, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, abandoned the UK to pursue Spain's warmer weather. He relocated his entire existence to Manilva, a municipality within Malaga on the Costa del Sol. Nevertheless, whilst enjoying an "absolutely wonderful" experience in Spain thus far, Mark has admittedly faced several obstacles, having previously discussed the intricacies of the local visa procedures. Mark, who operates in IT whilst also producing Spain-focused material for his emerging YouTube channel, Tapas Guy, arrived in the country using a digital nomad visa. This permits foreigners to reside in Spain whilst working remotely for an external company (or as freelancers). Yet, it seems bureaucratic machinery operates sluggishly regardless of location, as Mark also mentioned that "everything takes so long". Though this might partially stem from a notable "contrast" between both nations, reports the Express. He highlighted one particular distinction when questioned about the "biggest culture shock" he'd faced following his overseas relocation. Expanding on this, he explained how Spain was "about 20 years or so behind the UK" in one of his videos. He remarked: "And I describe it as being Spain being about 20 years or so behind the UK in kind of technology. Everything takes so long. They don't go for electronic systems. They like their pieces of paper; that is the biggest shock. "They are paper pushers; they're pen pushers. Everything is paper, like when you go for sort of your visa applications or your... as I'm now waiting for my TIE card, which is my foreign residency card, everything is paper processed." Mark detailed his experience while waiting for his card, noting that they'd "already kind of accepted it". He described how applicants submit their documents at a police station, get fingerprinted, and then wait for the card to be produced. He lamented: "If they had a little printer machine by them, they could just press a button and print it out, but oh no. You know, it has to go through the paper process and it has to.." Mark went on: "You know, it can take have to sort of make another appointment to go back. Everything's booked up solid and, you know, I've still not got it. Everything takes a long time, a very, very long time." A TIE card is a Spanish Foreign Identity Card (or tarjeta de identidad de extranjero in Spanish), which serves as proof of legal status for foreigners in Spain and is necessary for those with visas permitting stays longer than six months. Spain adheres to the regulations of the Schengen area, which dictate specific passport prerequisites and permit individuals to travel visa-free within the zone for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Europe's cheapest holiday hotspot revealed - where families can grab three-course meal for just £67
Narrowly beating Bulgaria's Sunny Beach, Marmaris, a popular resort town on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, has been crowned the best value holiday hotspot in this year's annual Post Office Family Holiday Report. Already a popular choice for British holidaymakers looking to score a bargain break, Marmaris is known for its sandy beaches, charming old town and lively nightlife. Conducted in collaboration with holiday operator TUI, the report looks at the costs of 16 European resort destinations, comparing the price for a total of 10 tourist items, including an evening meal, suncream and a range of drinks. For gold-medalling Marmaris, the sum of these items came to £128.99. Visitors to the resort are able to secure a three-course family meal (including wine) for as little as £67.67. Also well-priced are cups of coffee (£2.01), and insect repellent (£2.61). In Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, the second most affordable destination listed by the report, the total cost was £129.47 – helped by the reasonable prices of bottled beer (£2.35) and a cup of coffee (£1.88). Portugal's Algarve came third place for a second year running, making it the cheapest Eurozone destination. Fourth-place Paphos continues to close the gap though: the Grecian destination was only £1 cheaper, at £144.44. Once again, Ibiza was rated the most expensive resort of all 16 surveyed, with a total cost of £242.79 – almost double that of Marmaris. Despite a price increase of 10.3 per cent since July 2024, Turkey's weak lira – which reached a record low against the pound in March 2025 - has undoubtedly contributed to Marmaris's popularity. In fact, the report found that for the top two destinations – both non-Eurozone – prices were 10 per cent lower than their Eurozone competitors. Head of Travel Money at Post Office, Laura Plunkett, said: 'The collapse of the lira makes Turkish resorts like Marmaris a natural choice for families. 'However, visitors should be aware that while sterling is worth a third more than last July, local prices have increased dramatically because of the currency's collapse.' Indeed, Post Office Travel Money found that prices had risen in 13 of the 16 destinations, once the prices were converted into sterling. The biggest price hike was found in Majorca, where the total cost had increased 21.4 per cent, to £201.68. By contrast, two Greek destinations, Lanzarote and Crete, recorded 2.1 per cent and 7.8 per cent falls respectively. Research conducted for the Family Holiday Report found that over three-quarters (78 per cent) families are planning trips abroad this year. However, 74 per cent admitted to busting their budgets by 42 per cent on their last holiday – spending an average of £323 extra than their £766 budgets. Food and drink were a prevailing cause of this overspending, with over 90 per cent spending an average of £378 on eating out, buying drinks in bars and restaurants, and shop-bought food. Parents surveyed also admitted that pressure to provide 'holiday treats' for their children had encroached on budgets. Nine in ten parents spent an average of £39 on ice creams, with other holiday extras, such as theme park visits (£60) and beach gear (£49) also causing financial strain.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Barcelona to shut cruise ports to tackle overtourism
Barcelona will close two of its seven cruise terminals as it steps up efforts to control visitor numbers following a local backlash against tourism. Under the €185m (£160m) plan agreed between the Spanish city and port authorities, two terminals are to be demolished and a third rebuilt for public use. This will slash the number of passengers the port can handle at any one time by 6,000 to 31,000 by the end of the decade. Following the reduction in capacity, priority will be given to ships departing from Barcelona, usually staffed by locals, rather than those just visiting in order to maximise benefits for the economy. Jaume Collboni, Barcelona's Left-wing mayor, said the deal was struck after the port showed 'understanding and empathy' in accepting that the expansion of cruise activity could not carry on unchecked and had to be reduced. He said: 'For the first time in its history, a limit is being placed on the growth of cruise ships in the city. The current management of tourism involves establishing limits.' It comes after protesters took to Barcelona's streets last month as part of the biggest anti-tourism rally in its history. It was the culmination of months of anger at overcrowding and high prices in the city. Protesters last year sprayed visitors with water pistols to highlight what they saw as the swarming of the city. Cruise vessels are reviled in some tourist hotspots for flooding streets with visitors who spend little before returning to their ship. While moves to ban them have become commonplace, Barcelona is going a step further by shrinking its port infrastructure to keep them away. The number of ships visiting Europe's busiest cruise port has surged over the past six years and jumped by a fifth between January and May, bringing in 1.2m people. Under the latest plans, a 2,000ft length of quayside will be renovated, while the bridge to the cruise terminals will be doubled to provide space for cyclists and pedestrians. Hookups to the power grid will also be provided so that ships do not have to use their diesel engines in port. José Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona, said the agreement would permit the 'sustainable development of cruise activity'. He said that while smaller, the resulting facilities will be amongst the most modern in the world and better able to act as a base for cruise ships, boosting local employment. Barcelona, which has a population of 1.7m, or 5m across its metropolitan area, attracted 3.7m cruise-ship passengers last year. Miami, the busiest cruise port in the world, handled a record 8.2m.
