Spain summer holiday warning as wave of new anti-tourism protests announced

A PROTEST NETWORK HAS CONFIRMED THAT 60 OF ITS GROUPS INTEND TO TAKE PART IN A MASS DEMONSTRATION THIS MONTH ACROSS THE LIKES OF PALMA, IBIZA, BARCELONA AND THE CANARY ISLANDS 09:07, 01 Jun

2025 Brits heading to Spain this month could face disruption with further protests planned against tourism numbers in holiday hotspots. Spanish news outlets have reported that demonstrations

are set to be staged across the country ahead of peak summer season. The protest group Menys Turisme Més Vida, which means Less Tourism More Life, has said that 60 of its divisions have so

far confirmed their intention to take part in a mass protest across Spain on Sunday, June 15. Demonstrations are expected to take place in several popular destinations including Palma,

Ibiza, Alicante, Barcelona and the Canary Islands, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports. The protest network added that demonstrations are also likely to take place in other parts of Europe

where locals are growing increasingly frustrated with the impact of over-tourism, including Lisbon in Portugal and Naples and Venice in Italy. It comes after months of intensifying

anti-tourism sentiment in areas that see millions of British holidaymakers visit every summer. A statement read out by the protest group in Palma on Saturday, May 31 said: "Our

territory is not for sale. It is urgent to put limits on the growth of tourism, to demand a change of direction and to point the way to degrowth as a solution to the overexploitation of our

resources and the exclusion of residents." Over in the Canary Islands, protesters in Tenerife also confirmed in April that they will be out in force again in the coming months, issuing

a desperate message to tourists in a bid to discourage them from visiting. Residents have argued that the archipelago is "reaching its limit" on tourist numbers, which they say is

continuing to have a detrimental effect on the environment, housing and job security. WE HAVE A DEDICATED NEWSLETTER FOR WHAT’S ON NEWS AND REVIEWS. IT’S FREE AND YOU CAN SIGN UP TO RECEIVE

IT HERE. IT WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST UPDATES ON FOOD, DRINK, ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS IN AND AROUND THE NORTH EAST. Article continues below It comes after the Canary

Islands saw an influx of nearly 18 million tourists in 2024 - an "extraordinary" 10% increase compared to the previous year, according to Canarian Weekly. This was led by British

holidaymakers, who accounted for more than 40% of all international arrivals, with the largest island of Tenerife remaining the most popular destination. Back in October, the Canary Islands

saw a huge wave of fresh protests break out ahead of the half term break. Thousands took to the streets and beaches across the popular islands, with a crowd of more than 8,000 marching on

the Playa de las Americas and Troya beaches in Tenerife. Meanwhile, the Balearic Government is said to be "redoubling efforts" to calm tourism markets in the face of renewed action

from protesters. Spanish news outlets have reported that tour operators are being asked to facilitate a transition towards a more balanced distribution of tourist arrivals throughout the

year. Article continues below Measures were brought into force earlier this year in another part of Spain popular with tourists as part of efforts to address the concerns of protesters.

Malaga, which sees a significant number of British visitors each year, including from Newcastle with daily direct flights from Newcastle Airport to Malaga Airport in the summer months,

banned the registration of new holiday rentals in 43 districts of the city. The measure is an attempt by the Malaga City Council to put an immediate stop to the rising number of rental

properties popping up in the city's most crowded districts, many of which are let out to tourists. But while it has been dubbed a "tourist ban", it doesn't mean tourists

can no longer holiday there, and Brits booking holidays can still expect to be able to find plenty of hotels, Airbnbs and other accommodation across Malaga. However, over in the Balearic

Islands, the CEO of Majorca's largest hotel group has recently called for apartment holiday rentals to be eliminated altogether. Gabriel Escarrer Jaume said: "Absolutely, with the

only exception perhaps in cases of buildings exclusively reserved for this purpose, where they don't coexist with residential use."