Thousands of people protested against overtourism in Spain earlier this year, calling on tourists to “go home”. Spain’s tourism industry remains strong, with record numbers of international tourists arriving. Travel industry experts said large-scale protests alone are unlikely to deter travelers.
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This year, protesters in Spain held large-scale demonstrations against overtourism, making headlines around the world, especially after they sprayed water cannons at tourists in Barcelona.
But don’t expect American travelers visiting this country to hear about them, much less change their travel plans as a result.
Spain saw record numbers of international tourists this summer, despite large-scale demonstrations throughout the year in cities such as Barcelona, Mallorca and Malaga, according to data compiled by the Spanish government.
The country recorded 10.9 million international travelers in July and August, an increase of 7.3% from the same months in 2023, according to government data. Spain’s National Institute of Statistics also announced that hotel room reservations in August increased by 2.6% compared to 2023. In the first eight months of this year, hotel stays increased a total of 5.6% year over year.
According to travel industry news site Skift, a survey conducted by Mallorca’s tourism board and released last month found that 89% of U.S. tourists were not even aware that the protests were occurring. More than 1,000 Americans responded to the survey, and nearly 70% of those who were aware of the protests said it would not affect their plans to visit the Spanish island. The board did not respond to Business Insider’s request for an investigation.
Spain is one of the world’s travel destinations dealing with the effects of overtourism, including overcrowding, expensive housing, and high costs of living. Tourism protests intensified in April, with an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people in the Canary Islands demanding the enactment of tourism restrictions. Thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona in July, with many blaming overtourism for the city’s high cost of living. Protesters shot tourists with water cannons and shouted, “Go home!”
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But that message alone won’t be enough to significantly curb tourist numbers, according to Amir Eilon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, a market research consultancy specializing in the travel and tourism industry. That’s what he said.
“When you think about where you should go and where you shouldn’t go, it’s really your perception of safety that determines that,” Eilon told Business Insider about how tourists decide where to travel. .
Although the protests in Spain made headlines, tourists did not suffer any physical harm that would create a negative perception of safety, which has historically influenced the number of tourists who choose to visit a destination. That could have a big impact on numbers, he said.
Spain in particular is a destination where many tourists plan and save, he said, adding that even if tourists heard about the demonstrations, they were unlikely to be deterred by it.
But Eilon said the protests could influence government policy and lead to curbs and better management of tourism in the future.
Earlier this year, Canary Islands authorities announced plans to add additional restrictions and regulations to short-term rentals. Barcelona, which enacted a partial ban on short-term rentals in 2021, announced in June that it would ban all short-term rentals in the city by 2028.
Eilon said each country and local government typically requires its own approach to managing the impacts of tourism while reaping economic benefits. These measures could include bans or restrictions on short-term rentals, as well as visitor limits, increased tourism taxes, and efforts to build more permanent housing.
