Anger against over-tourism in Spain is spilling into the off-season, as holiday-makers continue to seek winter sun. Locals in the Basque city of San Sebastian plan to take to the streets under the banner: “We are in danger; degrow tourism!” and anti-tourism protesters will gather in Seville in November. The grievances driving the upcoming protests are similar to those in the summer, with concerns about the impact of tourism on public spaces, housing, and the local community.
Spain is expected to receive more than 90 million foreign visitors by the end of the year, and the consultancy firm Braintrust estimates that the number of arrivals will rise to 115 million by 2040. This has led to a backlash, with protesters in cities like Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, and Tenerife expressing their frustration. They argue that tourism is an economic model that is “choking the rest of us,” and that the industry is prioritizing visitors over residents.
The protests have also highlighted the broader housing crisis in Spain, with the country’s central bank reporting that nearly half of families who rent at market prices are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. While tourism represents 13% of Spain’s GDP and directly provides around three million jobs, supporters of the industry argue that it is essential to the economy and drove the country’s recovery from the pandemic. However, the protesters insist that the industry must change, and that the protests will continue until their demands are met.
