Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2, has warned that the industry needs to be ready to respond to customers’ concerns about tourism protests. Speaking at a round table at the Spanish Embassy in London, he reported that the Jet2 call centre was receiving calls from concerned clients. He pointed out that “If you’re going on holiday with your kids and you hear there might be anti-tourism protests in a destination, you might think again about going there.” Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, MD of Barrhead Travel, said: “The protests are small but they’re mighty and they’re worrying people.” The mayors of San Bartolomé de Tirajana in Gran Canaria, Arona in Tenerife, Benidorm and Salou were all there.
The Spanish Embassy organised the event to bring together mayors with the UK outbound industry to discuss the impacts of anti-tourism protests on consumer choice and visitor arrivals. Fátima Lemes, the mayor of Arona, said that the demonstrations don’t reflect the day-to-day experience of tourists: “The majority of our region is thankful for tourism.” The mayors recognised that housing is a major issue. Antonio Pérez, mayor of Benidorm, said, “We should try not to blame tourism, because there are many aspects here that have nothing to do with tourism.” Pere Granados, mayor of Salou, said, “We can’t say the lack of affordable housing is the tourists’ fault. It’s nothing to do with tourism. It’s a problem we all have.”
Mayors have limited tools available to them to manage tourism, and for those who represent towns and cities where tourism is a big part of their economy, the challenge is particularly acute. If visitor numbers fall because of anti-tourist sentiment, the impact on businesses and employment will be serious. Many local economies are dependent on tourism. When the streets are crowded anyway — for example, during Carnival in Gran Canaria—tourists are welcome to be a part of it. The problem is the unrelenting crowding, month after month.
Mayors are trying to balance the interests of tourists and the rights of residents, but they have very limited powers. Extending the season may be good for business and employment, but it will not reduce the pressure during the high season, although climate change and hotter summers might.
YouGov research conducted in August last year found that across Spain, half of Spaniards (49%) say there are ‘large’ numbers of international tourists in their local area, with 32% saying that their local area receives “too many” foreign travellers. A quarter now has a negative view of foreign travellers. There is evidence that short-term rentals are a major, perhaps the major, issue. 32% of Spaniards say that short-term rentals do more harm than good. 45% have an unfavourable view of holiday rentals, while only 21% have an unfavourable view of the hotel sector. This is data from a representative survey across Spain; it is reasonable to assume that in the overtouristed destination towns, the views would be more hostile.
The permissive commodification of the housing market has encouraged short-term renting to tourists because it is very lucrative, local people often work for low wages in the tourism industry and are priced out of housing. Mayors have very limited powers to change the way the housing market works. Barcelona had considerable success in licensing and taxing holiday lets but is now planning to ban short-term rentals. However, what a mayor can achieve is constrained by national and EU law. Spain is reported to be considering imposing a tax of up to 100% on the value of properties bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU.
The other challenge is day visitors, arriving by car, coach, train, and cruise. Cars and coaches can be controlled by limiting parking and coach drop-off points. However, locals resent increased car parking charges; residents’ permits can go some way to police locals and visitors separately, but businesses need their customers to be able to park.
The Mallorca Daily Bulletin reported that Mallorca was invaded by cruise ships, 23 cruise ships and almost 60,000 passengers in just seven days in Palma 21% more than in the same period in 2024. Most Mayors do not have the power to control cruise ship arrivals. Similarly, with aviation, limiting flight arrivals is not in the control of the mayors. The Balearic Government is calling on the Spanish Government to order the Aena airports authority to curb the increase in flights to the islands’ airports during the peak season because tourist capacity has reached its “maximum limit”.
The ICRT.global offers a course on Addressing Overtourism and Managing Success, written by Harold Goodwin. Professional Certificate in Managing Overtourism – International Centre for Responsible Tourism global.
