Spanish Tourist Office says overtourism protests have been ‘heavily inflated’ by UK media

Exclusive: Spain’s tourism offices say travel to the country is safe and call for a ‘sense of perspective’

A holiday rental company said tourists are worried about ‘dangerous’ protests in Palma de Mallorca (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A Spanish tourism authority has disputed claims that anti-tourist protests in the country are “dangerous”, and insists that there is “no threat or danger” to Brits holidaying in Spain.

Earlier this month, holiday rental companies in Palma reported that tourists from the UK are cancelling their summer breaks to Mallorca in light of negative media coverage of demonstrations in Barcelona, Mallorca and Menorca.

Protesters in their thousands have marched through streets in Palma de Mallorca holding anti-tourist signs and in July Barcelona residents squirted diners in tourist areas with water during a protest against mass tourism.

However, the Spanish Tourist Office told The Independent that tourism arrivals to Spain this summer “so far have not been impacted” and called for the British media to have a “sense of perspective”.

“These protests have been largely isolated, peaceful, and self-contained. There are important issues generated from the problems associated with overtourism that need attention, such as affordable housing and the environment but looking specifically at the recent protests that have been widely covered by the British media, we do need to have a sense of perspective and proportion,” said the Spanish tourism authority.

The office added that the “amount and size” of the overtourism protests had been “heavily inflated by the UK media” and said there is often “a political agenda at play”.

According to the Spanish Tourist Office, the protestors are appealing for change based on “policy and macro issues”.

Their statement said: “We do have to stress that in most instances, negative feelings and protests are not directed towards tourists themselves but more towards policy and macro issues which impact people’s livelihoods such as access to housing and the cost-of-living crisis.

“We support the right to peaceful protest, but we would also like to reassure visitors that these protests have not posed any threat or danger to tourists. Travel to Spain is safe, and visitors continue to be welcomed with the same level of hospitality that our country is known for.”

Pepe Pont, CEO of Alquilair, a holiday rental company in Palma, said that the recent ant-tourism protests have “understandably increased anxiety among tourists and local operators”.

Mr Pont said Alquilair has observed a cancellation rate from British tourists of around 14 per cent but emphasised that this figure has been consistent for the past five years, excluding 2023.

He added: “This year, 2024, even if British tourists cancellations are still around this 14 per cent, there has been a significant overall increase in cancellations across all nationalities, approximately two to three times higher than usual, which coincides with the onset of the recent protests and negative media coverage.

“In spite of this, the occupancy rates not only in our establishments but also in the rest of the island’s establishments continue to be very high, as will be reflected in the upcoming official statistics from the local government.

“It’s important to acknowledge that while these protests have created a negative perception, the majority of visitors to Mallorca continue to have a safe and enjoyable experience.”

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