Tourists who are planning to go on a holiday in Spain should be prepared to encounter large-scale protests in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Many locals are taking to the streets, protesting against short-term holiday rentals, making housing ever more expensive.
Last Sunday, thousands of Spaniards took to the street in order to show their disenchantment with overtourism, asking for fewer holiday rentals and more affordable housing for locals.
Thousands have taken to the streets of Madrid, #Spain, to protest rising #accommodation costs. pic.twitter.com/LQUU9U4atn
— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) October 13, 2024
The rally in Madrid was led by tenants union Sindicato de Inquilinas. One of the demands of those protesting on the streets of the Spanish capital was for the minister of housing Isabel Rodriguez to resign because of “her direct responsibility in the failure of the Housing Act, her servility towards renters and negligence in her management”.
According to a statement made by the trade union Confederation of Comisiones Obreras, more than half of the average worker’s salary now goes to housing.
“Policies that mobilise vacant and tourist housing into rental housing could increase the rental stock by 66 per cent in provincial capitals and cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants,” said the trade union.
According to government estimates, 22,000 people took part in the rally in Madrid, however, the organisers speak of 150.000 protestors.
Oct. 13, over 20,000 young people in Madrid took to the streets in protest. They demanded that landlords lower rents, called for the resignation of Spain's housing minister, and urged the government to implement emergency measures to uphold housing justice. pic.twitter.com/rL89LFB41K
— Will Wong (@3Eyes_TruthNews) October 14, 2024
Still on Sunday, the No Copa America group organised a separate protest in Barcelona. Here, the protests were outed against one particular event, the America’s Cup yachting race, after the city decided to host this event. According to those on the streets, the yachting race attracts even more tourists to an already overly touristic city, driving up the rental prices.
Protest art alive and kicking in Barcelona. Poster against the America's Cup, October 2024. pic.twitter.com/Nfl82ZJa2L
— Nick Lloyd (@Civil_War_Spain) October 15, 2024
According to local protestors, the marches will not stop anytime soon. Those on holiday in the Canary Islands should be prepared to encounter protests on World Tourism Day on October 20th in particular. Locals are expected to demonstrate against the Islands’ practice of prioritising tourism over local interests. Earlier this year, a mass protest already took place in Palma de Mallorca.
The marches in Madrid and Barcelona come months after Barcelona’s mayor Jaume Collboni to no longer renew vacation rental licenses and not grant any new ones. The last of the current licenses is set to expire in November 2028. According to the mayor, the average rent in Barcelona went up by 68% over the past 10 years and the price of buying a property has increased by 38%. Apartur, an association representing nearly 7.000 of the 10.000 legal tourist rentals in Barcelona is now threatening the Catalan government with multiple legal actions following that decision.
On a national scale, the Spanish government announced in July that it would investigate listings on platforms such as Airbnb and booking.com. According to consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy, all those lacking a license would be punished.
