Anti tourist protests in Spain

Hard to tell if there have been fresh protests, or just the same examples from the last two years, resurrected for a fresh clickbait article.

I guess in the end, you should do as you believe, if you are uncomfortable with the possibility, then go elsewhere.

Do locals protest from time to time? Yes. They are frustrated with increasing housing costs, increasing food costs, inflation in general. Tourism is an easy scapegoat for these issues, it does contribute, but basic economic forces are more to blame.

When there is a protest, they really are trying to call their local government to action. Many of the groups that protest decry the impact of tourism on one hand, but are careful to say that they are not trying to drive tourists away (well, maybe the bad ones that do not spend much money) and in fact continue to promote their area for tourism.

Does that Help? I guess put it this way, I have a trip planned to Spain in April/May, I have no concerns. Was there last April for most of a month, did not encounter any hint of an issue.

Visited there in October and didn’t see any protests. The only high tourist cities visited were Toledo and Madrid.

If there are protests in the main tourist destinations, go to places that few tourists visit. In the places we visited, mostly in Extremadura, there were few tourists overall and even fewer from the U.S. We did have a rental car and visited a lot of very small towns and villages as day trips from the small cities (Plasencia, Mérida, Cáceres, Trujillo) we stayed in.

I am in Andalucia now. I spent almost a week in Sevilla before relocating to the province of Cadiz where I will spend two more weeks.

People were, and are, incredibly welcoming and I saw no evidence of any anti-tourism sentiment.

Nor did I see any in Valencia and around, when I visited last November for two weeks.
Or in Galicia or Lanzarote, where I spent a few weeks in both spots last spring.

I travel often to Spain and have not encountered anything of this sort. I think this is confined to places that attract large numbers of young tourists who come to Spain to go clubbing and to drink heavily...Benidorm, for example, and places in the Canarias....(but I saw none of this, as I said, above, in Lanzarote last May)

The majority of last years protests on mainland Spain occurred in Barcelona and were well documented in the media. Other than the use of squirt guns on tourists eating outdoors, they were pretty harmless and peaceful. They were directed more towards the government to get its attention and related to over tourism and its impact on the local community, housing, etc.

If you happen to be in a location when a protest erupts, go around it. Things can turn ugly quickly so best to avoid them.

As an ex-pat living in Barcelona, I wouldn't worry about it. The tourist-targeted protests were (a) during the summer, when the city can be utterly slammed, and (b) targeting tourists eating at places like McDonalds. If you're trying to connect to the culture, you're generally not who they're frustrated with - and as Paul says above, most of the protesting is focused at the government, not at visitors. (In fact, it's been inspiring as a non-native to participate in some of the marches that have taken place to help renters in the city.)

The one cautionary note that I will make is that you will infinitely improve your odds of a smooth trip from local-attitude perspectives if you stay in hotels/hostels/pensions and not an AirBnB style accommodation. The housing market is under serious pressure, and the one place you might get some genuine anger is if people see you as a part of that problem. Otherwise, in October, as a thoughtful traveler, you'll be fine!

Thank you all so much. You’ve given me lots to think about. Happy travels!

Understanding the why and the how: Barcelona

I know some might say I’m biased, but honestly, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I don’t work in tourism, and whether tourists come or not doesn’t really affect me much—other than the occasional long line here and there! Like most people in Barcelona, I don’t lose sleep over who decides to visit. We are open to visitors, as we have always been, but life just goes on as usual, the city does not "live" on the back of tourism.

Now, if you follow European news at all, you’ll see this isn’t just a "Barcelona thing." Cities like Paris, Rome, Brussels, Berlin, Athens… they’re all facing similar issues, especially when it comes to housing. The shortage of available homes and sky-high prices are becoming a serious problem. And while there are lots of reasons behind this, one of the biggest ones is the shift of many apartments—from long-term rentals for local residents to short-term tourist rentals (days or weeks).

Barcelona, in particular, feels this pressure more than most. We’re squeezed between the sea, the mountains, and two neighboring cities, so there’s very little room to grow. That makes land and housing especially valuable. The city can’t comfortably support both residential housing and a booming short-term rental market. On top of that, short-term rentals are way more profitable—landlords can make €4000–5000 a month (with high occupancy), compared to maybe €1500–2000 from long-term tenants.

Understandably, this creates a lot of frustration for people who live here. Rents are climbing to unsustainable levels, and in some cases, landlords are simply choosing not to renew long-term leases so they can switch to short-term tourist rentals. That forces families and long-time residents to leave—not just their homes, but often their neighborhoods or even the city entirely.

Now, for many Americans, this might be hard to relate to, since geographic mobility is more common in the U.S. But here in Europe, people tend to stay rooted in one place most of their lives—whether it’s a neighborhood, a town, or a city. That creates strong social and family ties. So being forced to move—especially when it’s not by choice—can really shake up people’s lives.

The same story applies to local businesses. In the past decades, the heart of many European cities has completely changed. Independent shops and family-run businesses are being pushed out, replaced by big global chains. It flattens the identity of the city, makes everything look the same, and erases a lot of its charm. And why? Again, it’s the sky-high rent. Big multinationals can afford to throw money at prime locations, even if it doesn’t make long-term sense. Some leave those spots after just a short time, creating a constant feeling of instability.

So every now and then, residents speak up. Sometimes it’s just a few voices, sometimes it’s big and visual—like last year’s protest on Les Rambles in Barcelona, which made international headlines. We Barcelonans are known for being outspoken and creative when we protest. We like a bit of flair and aesthetic choreography—but we’re also generally peaceful. Maybe that’s why governments feel they can get away with ignoring us… maybe we should be a little less tolerant and a bit more ‘hands-on’, like our neighbours in France, the gilets jaunes! Of course, like in any group, there are always the angriest voices and a few opportunists who tag along without really caring about the cause. Sometimes that leads to clashes with the police—but that’s not the norm in our protests.

That said, as mentioned earlier, the frustration isn’t really directed at the tourist—although let’s be honest, there are a few who probably shouldn’t be allowed to leave their countries! 😄 The criticism is aimed at the lack of proper regulation, the failure to manage tourist flows, the uneven playing field between local businesses and massive corporations when it comes to taxes, and the way governments often cave to lobbying pressure when it’s time to tackle overcrowding—whether it’s in public transport, or the overuse (and abuse) of public healthcare services, which, by the way, are universal and funded by residents’ taxes. It's also about the lack of protection for our cultural and historical heritage—like old shops and family-run businesses that have been part of the city's fabric for generations.

And to be clear: Barcelonans love to travel too... a lot! A big chunk of us are tourists ourselves at one point or another. So we get what it’s like to arrive somewhere and be one of thousands. That’s why more and more of us are choosing to visit less popular destinations, trying not to add to the problem elsewhere.