It seems there is a new tradition emerging in Spanish tourism – just as the start of the summer prompts the main influx of tourists, so there are increasing numbers of protests against overtourism in the destination.
Barcelona has long seen protests dating back to 2017 and beyond while local residents in the Canary Islands have become increasingly vocal about the issues experienced as they begin to feel that both the numbers of tourists – and their behaviour – is getting increasingly out of control.
This year has also seen residents in Mallorca in the Balearic Islands taking to the streets in protest against overtourism, with Sky News reporting as many as 10,000 people joining the most recent march in July while there have also been protests in April and June.
And to listen to Peter Debrine, an expert on sustainable tourism at UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) the problem is only going to get worse.
Speaking to Hospitality Investor, he said: “Overtourism has been a concern for many destinations, but we’re reaching a boiling point because the impacts are becoming increasingly unmanageable and visible, especially in destinations that are already struggling with infrastructure, environmental conservation and maintaining local quality of life.
“When local communities feel their way of life, environment and cultural heritage are being threatened, it’s natural for them to raise concerns.”
Local media in Mallorca have certainly been echoing these concerns, with a recent report in the island’s English-speaking newspaper the Majorca Daily Bulletin citing figures released by the Balearic Statistics Institute showing tourism numbers across the Balearics grew by 1.3 million in 2023 to 17.8 million.
It added a 17 per cent increase in tourism numbers in the first quarter of 2024 means that close to 24 million tourists could visit the destination this year, maintaining hotel occupancy rates at about 90 per cent as the growing numbers make shorter stays.
While the figures and UNESCO’s warning may appear apocalyptic, Emma Brennan, the head of media and communications at the UK’s ABTA – The Travel Association said it was wrong to use overtourism as a blanket term.
She added: “If you look at the Spain series of protests in Mallorca, the Canary Islands and the mainland, then even within those protests there were different issues.
“What we also saw [in the protests] is people saying it’s not about that we don’t want tourists here, it’s about how tourism is managed from within.
“The phrase overtourism oversimplifies things.”
She added while in the Canaries much of the protests were centred on the protection of natural beauty spots, a particular problem Mallorca residents were becoming increasingly concerned about is the numbers of cars tourists are renting and the ensuing traffic jams which make daily life a grind.
Michael O’Regan, a lecturer in tourism and events at Glasgow Caledonian University’s Glasgow School for Business and Society agreed that the term overtourism is too broad a term for the problem.
He said: “Overtourism is a very easy word to use and perhaps that’s one of my many concerns; it’s a catch-all phrase as it’s applied to anything or any perception [of too many tourists].
“Excessive tourism depends on the days of the week, the time of the day and what they mean by overtourism.”
But he admitted it is a problem, with Marbella’s issues being compounded by the increase of Airbnb rentals which have caused accommodation issues, both in availability and price, as well as the ensuing growth in car rentals as travellers no longer take advantage of traditional holiday infrastructure, such as a group transfer on a single bus.
O’Regan added if the problems are specific to each destination, then the solutions must be too.
He said: “It’s up to destinations to decide what sort of mix they want between all-inclusive resorts and local residences available for tourist rental.
“It’s very difficult for local politicians as they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t but they failed to grasp the issue around short-term rentals.”
O’Regan argued that simply banning Airbnb-style rentals in Mallorca could harm the local economy as much as the current situation as local residents have invested heavily in creating the accommodation and now depend on the income.
While many destinations simply set their sights on attracting a better quality of traveller, even that can cause unexpected problems
O’Regan said: “You can see that in Marbella and Malaga, where they are saying we need to open up routes to the US where visitors spend 10 times the amount as a local visitor or a UK visitor, but it’s not a solution.
“It could lead to more internationally-owned hotels, more swimming pools and more facilities [requiring space and water].
“The solution is different for every destination; they can limit new hotels, swimming pools, short term rentals and do more enforcement and inspections on short term holiday rentals.”
Whatever the solution turns out to be, it is safe to say that in Mallorca, where tourism accounts for about 45 per cent of the island’s GDP, local government has listened to the summer’s protests.
A spokesperson for the Balearic Islands Government told Hospitality Investor that it is already well engaged in finding solutions.
She added: “We recognise the need to pay attention to certain issues associated with overtourism and have thus been putting regulations in place for years to promote responsible tourism, to support seasonal diversification and the harmonious co-existence between residents and visitors.”
She said the regulations targeting the problem include an updating this year of the decree law promoting sustainable tourism, a newly created committee focused on developing a sustainable tourism blueprint and the introduction of a sustainable tourism tax dating back to 2016.
The Balearics government is also seeking to promote longer stays around the year while a move to attract more quality tourism takes into account O’Regan’s warnings.
The spokesperson said: “For us quality does not mean luxury or making the destination more expensive, it means a quality tourism offering based on sustainability and balance between visitors and locals.”
However, she admitted it will take time to solve the problem, adding: “We do recognise it is a complex issue and it is crucial for us to involve all key stakeholders in this discussion.”
Whatever the solutions are, ABTA’s Brennan argues recognising the need for balance between the wants, needs and desires of both local residents and visiting tourists is key.
“The golden aim for tourism is that you get great places for people to visit but you also get great places for people to live and work in as well.”