Anti-tourism protests are disrupting holidaymakers across Europe, with British visitors facing banners reading “Tourism is killing the city”, vandalism and even water pistol attacks.
In Mallorca, Barcelona and Amsterdam, hostility towards tourists has been evident in recent months. Protesters say holidaymakers are driving up rents and making cities unaffordable for locals.
We asked readers of the Telegraph Travel Newsletter whether anti-tourism protests make them less likely to visit a particular destination. Many readers responded.
Readers wrote in the newsletter and through the comments section to express their frustration – or sympathy – with both the protesters and the locals in these resort areas.
‘We don’t want stress and annoyance on holiday’
Many readers indicated that they would definitely avoid anti-tourist destinations, while others pointed out the economic benefits that holidaymakers bring.
“Of course we would avoid anti-tourist destinations like the plague,” said Dudley Price, adding that what most tourists want “is to visit a nice place to relax, enjoy ourselves, respect the locals and pay for our trip.”
He argued that as holidaymakers, “we contribute to the local economy, make new friends – often with the locals themselves – and return home feeling refreshed. What we don’t want from a holiday is stress and frustration. We have enough of that at home.”
However, Mr Dudley added that “Britons’ behaviour abroad often does not lead to coexistence or love”.
‘Deterring tourists is counterproductive’
Aileen Hogg highlighted recent scenes in Barcelona, where thousands of protesters marched down La Rambla.
“Why would I go somewhere where the locals don’t want me? I can understand the frustration of the residents, but attacking tourists, like in Barcelona, is not the way to deal with the situation,” she said.
Ms Hogg suggested that the problem is caused by Airbnb rentals – and that it is up to local authorities to put in place adequate rules to limit the number of such properties. “I am fortunate enough to be able to travel well out of season and still prefer hotels, so it is unlikely that I will be affected. However, I will do my research before booking a holiday elsewhere.”
Brey Beeny said of the protests in Mallorca: “Their island mentality is clearly visible. One year they are happy to sell off patches of scrubland for huge amounts of money and the next year they are complaining about parking and that their children cannot buy houses.
“They would quickly be shocked to see mass unemployment and a failing economy if enough people… moved across the Mediterranean to other locations.”
“I don’t go where I’m not wanted”
An anonymous reader and his wife, both in their 70s, lost money after cancelling their trip to Tenerife and rebooking to Malta, following mounting protests against tourism in the Canary Islands, mainland Spain and the Balearics.
“Personally, I have no desire to be seen and vilified as part of the problem,” he said, adding that the couple “would be happy to be part of the solution” by paying more for their trips if there was a direct link to funding better outcomes in the affected destinations.
“In the meantime, my wife and I will avoid any holiday destinations where we risk being unwelcome. It’s a big world and fortunately we have the freedom to spend our money wherever we want.”
In a similar vein, Janet Brelsford Blake said, “The world is a big place. I don’t go where I’m not wanted.”
And Philip Plackett replied: “If I knew a country wasn’t happy with tourism, I’d vote with my feet. I’m sure any of the other 200+ countries in the world would be happy to invite me and my credit cards.”
However, a few readers said that hostility toward tourists would not deter them, including Jan Willem Schaap, who explained: “For me, it will not influence my choice. The variety of culture – museums, restaurants, hotels – and historical sites will dominate. In any case, the internet makes booking very easy.”
‘It is almost impossible to find a decent rental home’
Some readers had first-hand experience of the housing crisis in these tourist honeypots, including Sally Veal, who has lived in Spain for 18 years. She disagrees with the methods used by the anti-tourism faction, but she sympathizes with their plight. In her small town in northeastern Spain, she said, “It’s virtually impossible to find a decent rental for much less than €1,000.”
“Tourist rental companies are just as guilty,” Ms. Veal argued, “because they deprive locals of the opportunity to live in their communities. In popular tourist spots, roads become congested, parking is impossible, and tourists treat private homes like Disneyland. It’s as much a matter of respect as overtourism.
“Today I was pushed aside in a supermarket by several Dutch tourists, an English boy and badly behaved French children.”
She blames local authorities. “We can’t blame a tourist who books an Airbnb when it’s offered legally. Maybe local authorities are starting to get the message. I just hope that frustrated Spaniards will direct their anger at them.”
‘Anti-tourism protests are fully justified’
Another reader, Andrew Ker, believes the anti-tourism protests are “fully justified given the disrespect many tourists show for the destinations, which is symptomatic of the way society seems to be becoming increasingly anti-social”.
Mr Ker and his partner “try to be selective” about their holiday destinations because they “don’t want to be pigeonholed for anti-social behaviour or wrongly drawn into local protests”.
“We find it depressing that this situation could have come to this,” he concluded.
Finally, Helen Clark, who lived and worked in Mallorca in the early 1970s, noted that “real estate development, mainly apartment blocks and hotels, was gaining momentum rapidly”.
“However, there was nothing that could compare to the endless development that is there now,” she said, adding that “some areas are unrecognizable”.
Ms Clark argued: “Whoever is responsible for the massive overdevelopment of what was once such a beautiful island has only themselves to blame for the increased number of tourists.”