Hundreds of locals took to the streets of San Sebastian on Sunday, protesting against over-tourism, with anti-tourist sentiment sweeping across Spain.
Under the slogan “We are in danger, reduce tourism!”, groups of citizens in the Basque city marched through the historic centre to protest against the current tourism model and the increase in rental prices for residents.
Sunday’s demonstration was organised by BiziLagunEkin (with neighbours) and supported by more than 50 regional groups, culminating in a series of debates, speeches and other events in the city entitled an “October against Overtourism”.
The civil association said: “Citizens took to the streets to denounce the serious consequences of tourism. The message is clear: the development of this tourism model has gone beyond all limits and, taking this into account, it is necessary to take measures to reduce tourism.”
Among the protesters’ 16 proposals for the development of the tourism model, BiziLagunEkin proposed protecting areas of ecological value, reducing the number of tourist apartments and stopping the granting of permits for new hotels.
The organisation’s manifesto reads as follows: “The residents of Donostia have little to celebrate. In fact, for a few, this industry can bring in a lot of money but for the majority, it is just an oppressive economic model. Apart from the excessive crowding on the streets in the more touristy neighbourhoods, the high cost of living, the displacement of permanent residents, the exploitation of leisure time, the violation of the right to housing, etc., are structural problems that are invisible at first glance and are widespread in all neighbourhoods.”
Asier Basurto MP told the BBC: “We have had a way of life for generations, in which people are connected to each other and those who move into the region are integrated. If we have a model whereby visitors just come for five days and then leave, then you turn the area into a lifeless theme park, with no culture, no community.”
The complaint about the impact of tourism on rental prices is a common theme and is fuelling a wider housing crisis across Spain. The country’s central bank has reported that nearly half of families renting at market prices are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
The other view
However, with tourism accounting for 13% of Spain’s GDP and directly providing around three million jobs, its supporters insist that the industry is essential to the economy and has led the country’s recovery after the pandemic.
They are particularly concerned about scenes such as the one at Playa de las Américas in Tenerife on 20 October, where a video showed two tourists sunbathing on the beach while protesters shouted just metres away from them.
There were also reports in the Spanish media of more hostile behaviour, such as locks on tourist apartments in Seville being stained with excrement.
Such incidents have prompted David Morales, head of tourism for the conservative Popular Party (PP) in the Canary Islands, to insist on the “right of tourists to enjoy their holidays without being the target of disturbances or verbal and physical attacks”.
According to consultancy Braintrust, Spain expects to welcome more than 90 million international visitors by the end of 2024.
Since April, protests have been held across the mainland and on popular islands. Thousands of locals protested on 20 October at holiday resorts in Spain’s Canary Islands against over-tourism, which they say excludes locals from the housing market.
Under the slogan “The Canary Islands have a limit”, residents demonstrated simultaneously in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and El Hierro, calling for a change in the islands’ tourism model.
