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The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘We will not stop' vow as Irish in Spain issued chilling ‘go home' warning before thousands to target 16 holiday spots
THOUSANDS of people across Spain are expected to attend protests scheduled across 16 holiday hotspots this summer, with activists vowing: "We will not stop". Unrest between locals and tourists is Advertisement 5 Demonstrators in Barcelona protesting against mass tourism last year Credit: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti 5 Acitivists against tourism stopped a tourist bus in front of La Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona last month Credit: REUTERS 5 A tourist looks at protesters marching on Las Americas beach during a demonstration against mass tourism in Tenerife last year Credit: Getty Images Protests over the past year have already seen thousands of Spaniards to march, block visitors from popular beaches and even The activists are calling for a crackdown on accommodation pricing and regulations on non-resident accommodation. They have also cited Southern Europe Against Touristification, based in Barcelona, has confirmed that coordinated international protests against "tourism monoculture" will take place across 17 tourist hot spots on June 15. Advertisement READ MORE IN TRAVEL Protests will While activists from Santander, Genoa, Pamplona, Marseille, Milan, The cities Advertisement MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN The Canary Islands Environmental Coordinator group, which campaigns for "clean and sustainable" Canary Islands, has blamed the Government for not taking action. Inside Tenerife's ongoing war between tourists and locals It said: "They [the Government] continue to point out the protests with no intention of correcting what's causing them. You are responsible. "We repeat: WE WILL NOT STOP. On May 18th, everyone, take to the streets." Protestors have vowed to ramp up their demonstrations in June, blocking popular attractions and staging rallies in areas of Spain that are most popular with holidayers. Advertisement It is understood that some locals plan to demonstrate at airports - potentially causing flight chaos - and blockade buses carrying tourists. Just last weekend, Activists blocked a tour bus and shot water pistols at it while chanting: "Tourists go home". Protestors vowed to instil "fear" into tourists, in a desperate attempt to see some change to tourism policies in their country. Advertisement MEASURES TAKEN SO FAR A WAVE of anti-tourist measures are being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday hotspots. In , plans have been scrapped to build 1,300 tourist home, with a ban on land sales to foreigners being considered. On the party island of Earlier this year, Venice became the first city in the world to An area in The city has already The Spanish government has allowed Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, such as a ban on swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am. Greece has already enforced a tourist tax during the high season - from March to October - with visitors expected to pay from €1 to €4 per night, depending on the booked accommodation. Protestor Elena Boschi in Barcelona told the Mirror: "We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation, without fear, there is no change." She added: "Our cities and regions are not for sale and there is an urgent need to limit the growth of tourism, demand a change of course and decide on a path to tourism de-growth as a way out". Similar events will take place across the Locals will start the demonstration - which Advertisement And a total of 15 separate groups have said they will take to the streets across the Canary Islands under an umbrella protest platform, fuming "The Canary Islands Have a Limit." The platform said: 'We've still lacking a true change of model that guarantees a decent future for the people who live in these islands. 'That's why we're announcing that in the month of May we will A spokesman claimed the eight islands that make up the Atlantic Ocean archipelago were 'collapsing' under tourist pressure and the future for locals being priced out of somewhere to live by 'foreign speculators' encouraged by regional government inaction looked bleaker than ever. Advertisement 5 Anti-tourism stickers have been placed around Palma Majorca Credit: The Sun - Peter Jordan 5 Overtourism protests took place in front of La Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona last month Credit: REUTERS/
New York Times
29-04-2025
- New York Times
European Anti-Tourism Groups Plan June 15 Disruptions
Travelers to Europe, mark your calendars (and bring your raincoats). On June 15, activist groups across southern Europe are planning to stage protests against tourism. Although the precise form of those demonstrations has not been decided, it's a pretty safe bet that water guns will be involved. Last weekend in Barcelona, about 120 representatives from Venice; Lisbon; Palermo, Italy; and a dozen other cities joined leaders of the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification in calling for a coordinated day of action to raise awareness about what they called 'the urgent need to limit the growth of tourism.' The tactics discussed included marches, picketing at airports, obstructing tourists' entry to historic sites and blockading tour buses. Driven by rising rents, housing shortages, pollution and overcrowded public transportation, the call signals a continuation — and possibly an escalation — of the demonstrations that erupted across Europe in 2024. At a protest along Barcelona's famed Las Ramblas boulevard last July, a handful of participants pulled out water guns and began squirting tourists. The tactic attracted global media attention, which is why, this time around, the activists have adopted the toys as an effective symbol of their resistance. In Barcelona, where the municipal government has taken measures to reduce the impact of overtourism (the city received 15.5 million tourists in 2024), such as curbing new hotel construction and banning Airbnb after 2028, tourism officials greeted the news of the planned June 15 protests with dismay. 'It's unfortunate that global anti-tourism movements chose to announce their proposals in Barcelona, when Barcelona is the city that is doing the most for sustainable urban tourism,' said Mateu Hernández, director general of the Barcelona tourism office. With international travel expected to increase this year, the summer of 2025 looks likely to see other protests proliferate. Already, in the Canary Islands, a demonstration against tourism is scheduled for May 18, with organizers suggesting they will move beyond the kind of marches that brought 60,000 to the streets last year to also include occupying what they called 'symbolic' tourist sites. Participants in the Barcelona workshops capped their gathering with their own symbolic protest. On Sunday morning, the activists, some wielding water guns, met outside the Sagrada Família church (the city's most popular tourist attraction), surrounded a tour bus filled with passengers, and hung a banner announcing the June 15 demonstrations from its windshield. 'We don't want to hurt anyone,' said Elena Boschi, an English-language teacher and activist from Genoa, Italy. 'We just want them to be mindful of the impact that their presence is having on these places and the people who live in them.' Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Police intervene as protesters target tourists with new tactic in Spanish hotspot
Tourist aboard a sight-seeing bus in Barcelona were blocked and squirted with water by protesters. The organizers of many of the anti-tourism protests held in 2024 in Mallorca launched a protest in the Northern Spanish city on Sunday. The Catalan Police were called when the campaigners blocked a bus packed with tourists close to the famous Sagrada Familia. Members of Més turisme, Menys vida (More Tourism, Less Life) launched the action after holding an international press conference. After stopping the bus in its tracks for several minutes, the protesters doused it with water pistols. According to OK Diario, police dispersed some of the activists and detained others. This tourism-phobic group from Mallorca carried out several pressure actions against tourists last year, both in Palma and on iconic beaches like Caló des Moro, as well as two demonstrations with thousands of people protesting against tourism in the streets of the Balearic capital. Fed up locals in holiday hotspots across Spain, Italy, France and Portugal have refused to rule out targeting terminal buildings to deter holidaymakers this summer. They say mass tourism has fuelled soaring rents and a lack of affordable homes - as accommodation is snapped up for tourist lets and land bought for building resorts. The alert comes as millions of us are planning sunshine getaways. At the Més turisme, Menys vida summit, protestor Elena Boschi yesterday told the Mirror: 'We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation – without fear there is no change.' The English language teacher, 46, a campaigner from Genoa, on the Italian riviera, continued: 'Our cities and regions are not for sale and there is an urgent need to limit the growth of tourism, demand a change of course and decide on a path to tourism de-growth as a way out.' When questioned by our reporter about demonstrations at airports, which have been mooted by activists, leader Daniel Pardo added: 'It is a possibility – but, it is difficult to say because each territory will decide how they want to take action, there is no one set strategy.' Issues relating to tourism have been felt particularly keenly by those living on the Canary Islands. In 2024, the Canary Islands saw a record 17.9 million visitors, a combination of international and domestic tourists. This included 15.5 million international tourists, a 10% increase from the previous year, and around 1.8 million domestic tourists from mainland Spain. This year activists - who argue that house prices are too high, roads too busy and the way of life being eroded by mass-tourism - have pledged to target popular tourist hotspots, disrupt public events and "confront political leaders". A fresh campaign is set to commence from May 18. "From now on, we will take our fight to the very spaces where their predatory model is perpetuated," declared activist group Canarias tiene un límite (The Canaries Have a Limit)."
Edinburgh Live
28-04-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Airports facing chaos this summer as European anti-tourism protesters issue warning
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info British holidaymakers looking forward to European summer breaks could be in for a headache, as anti-tourism protests threaten to bring chaos to airports. Disgruntled locals in Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal are hinting at potential protests within airport terminals to dissuade tourists, blaming mass tourism for skyrocketing rents and the loss of affordable housing as properties are turned into tourist rentals and land is purchased for resort development. The Mirror received a stark warning from Elena Boschi, a vocal protester at a Barcelona summit, who said: "We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation – without fear there is no change." READ MORE - Death of West Lothian woman who fell from Benidorm balcony to be probed in new series READ MORE - ITV Grace fans 'all spot the same issue' minutes into series finale The 46 year old English language teacher and activist from Genoa elaborated on the necessity of curbing tourism growth and considered tourism de-growth as an escape route. Our journalist probed further about the possibility of demonstrations affecting airports, as hinted by protestors' discussions. Movement leader Daniel Pardo told our reporter: "It is a possibility – but, it is difficult to say because each territory will decide how they want to take action, there is no one set strategy." The SET European Network Against Touristification, a collective of protest groups from 17 southern European cities, islands, and communities, has convened for a three-day summit to demand an end to "predatory tourism". They argue that such tourism has resulted in residents being "unable to pay the high rents or buy a home" and has caused "beaches and natural areas [to be] visibly damaged.", reports the Mirror. In Spain, average rents have doubled and house prices have surged by over 44% in the last ten years, with residential rental availability plummeting since the pandemic in 2020. Concurrently, short-term rentals have proliferated in major urban and coastal areas, pushing out local Spanish families. The summit follows massive protests across Spain last summer, where hundreds of thousands marched in 40 cities. In Palma, Mallorca, over 50,000 demonstrators took to the streets between May and July, brandishing signs proclaiming: "Mallorca is not for sale" and "no houses without people, nor people without houses." Earlier this month, further protests erupted. Madrid saw over 150,000 marchers, as reported by the local tenants' union. Maria Cardona, a SET Network member from Ibiza, hinted that protestors are prepared to escalate their actions "one step further" this coming summer. "The housing situation is really dramatic, there are hundreds of people living in tents and in cars so I think a lot of protest groups will be prepared to take more decisive action," she disclosed. "On Ibiza, we also have a shortage of water and this is a problem in the winter, so you can imagine in the summer when there is triple the number of people on the island." Despite the likelihood of protests, it's important to note that many campaigners have stressed they aren't against holidaymakers. "We are not against tourists, but what we don't welcome is a way of being in our cities and regions that turns it into a place that is no longer nice to live in for us." voiced one member who preferred to stay anonymous. "People need to think what it would feel like if this were happening in their hometown – we're not interested in scaring anyone. It's just about being mindful of the impact tourism can have on local communities." Spain's reliance on tourism cannot be overstated with an astonishing 94 million visitors last year, including at least 17.5 million Brits, marking Spain as the world's second most visited nation, just behind France. Moves to regulate tourism effects have commenced locally as well; notably in Barcelona where authorities have promised to gradually eliminate the city's 10,000 permits for short-term rentals, a lot of which feature on rental platforms like Airbnb, planning to accomplish this by 2028. In 2018, the SET European Network Against Touristification emerged to combat the negative impacts of mass tourism. At their Barcelona summit, they handed out leaflets claiming: "Early action aimed at imposing limits on tourism is an expression of a growing collective awareness that transcends borders. "Each demonstration marks a moment, and perhaps, a turning point - we must push for the changes and policies that our cities and regions, the people who live in them and the whole planet need." Last year's statistics highlighted Europe as the most-visited region globally, with 747 million international arrivals. The SET network has announced protest plans starting June 15, involving destinations like the Canary Islands, Ibiza, Mallorca, Barcelona, and San Sebastian. Activists from places including Santander, Genoa, Pamplona, Lisbon, Marseille, Milan, Naples, Palermo, the Pyrenees, Rimini, Valence, and Venice are also part of the movement.
The Irish Sun
27-04-2025
- The Irish Sun
Major warning for Irish holidaymakers in Spain as anti-tourist protests could hit popular airports
AN URGENT warning has been issued to Irish holidaymakers over anti-tourist protests in the popular sunshine destination during the summer. Irish holidaymakers travelling to popular 2 The mass tourism has skyrocketed the prices of rents across the country Credit: Alamy Live News 2 Many hotspots in Europe are set to experience some anti-tourism protests Credit: Alamy Many residents in Spain, They argue that the mass influx of tourists has skyrocketed the prices of rents and created a shortage of affordable The urgent warning comes after many Irish holidaymakers are set to plan their sunny escapes abroad during the peak travel season. Talking to the Mirror, protester Elena Boschi in READ MORE ON TRAVEL She added: "Our cities and regions are not for sale and there is an urgent need to limit the growth of tourism, demand a change of course and decide on a path to tourism de-growth as a way out.". SET European Network, an organisation of protest groups from 17 cities, islands and communities throughout Southern Europe, have teamed up to oppose what they call "predatory tourism". They contend that this It was revealed that over the past decade, the average cost of rents in Most read in News Travel Anti-tourism protesters wreaking havoc across Spain have teamed up with Extinction Rebellion AND Free Palestine And the residential rental supply has decreased by half since the At the same time, short-term holiday rentals have sprung up in popular beachfront and metropolitan locations, leaving regular Spanish families high and dry. The protest comes after the mass protests that swept Spain last summer, with hundreds of thousands demonstrating across 40 cities over the mass tourism issues. In Palma, over 50,000 residents took to the streets from May to July, brandishing placards bearing emphatic messages such as: ' In Barcelona, protesters fired water guns at restaurant diners and taped shut hotel exits while chanting slogans, spreading fear among tourists across the country. However, earlier this month, the protest wave rose again in Madrid, witnessing over 150,000 protesters marching backed by the local tenants' union. ACTION ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS SET Network's own Tourism is one of Spain's main sources of income for its economy, with over 94 million tourists visiting the country last year, including at least 17.5million from As part of the protests, the local authorities nationwide have started to take action against short-term rentals. Barcelona's city officials have committed to phasing out all 10,000 licences for short-term lets by 2028, which includes targeting listings on popular platforms like Airbnb and Protests are expected to begin on June 15. They will be represented by activists from Santander, Genoa, Pamplona, Lisbon, Marseille, Milan, Naples, Palermo, the Pyrenees, Rimini, Valence, and Venice, as well as well-known Spanish hotspots like the Canary Islands, Ibiza, Mallorca, Barcelona, and San Sebastian. However, demonstrations will start in on May 18 at 11am from the Plaza Weyler in the capital tourist hotspot of Santa Cruz.
