Spain and Greece ‘at breaking level’ as locals say ‘state of affairs is uncontrolled’
Tourist hotspots are under fire this summer as locals have had enough of overtourism, sparking protests and even hunger strikes to draw attention to the damage it’s doing to their economies.
In a drastic move to tackle illegal holiday lets, some local authorities are threatening to turn off the water supply, while fed-up residents are taking matters into their own hands, squirting unwelcome visitors with water pistols.
Despite these tensions, destinations like Palma de Majorca in Spain, and Athens and Santorini in Greece, are hitting a “breaking point”, as reported by the New York Times.
With the summer season’s final numbers still to be tallied, early signs suggest a bumper year for tourism, with international arrivals in Q2 already 6% higher than the same period in 2019, per the European Travel Commission.
(Image: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Adding to the pressure, climate change is cranking up the heat on these tourist meccas, with July marking a relentless 14-month streak of record global temperatures, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reports the Express.
Spain and Greece have been sizzling, with mercury levels topping a scorching 114 degrees Fahrenheit.
While tourism is a lifeline for many European spots, there’s a growing chorus demanding that the cash influx from visitors should do more for the locals and spruce up public services.
“We have been invaded by tourists; the situation is out of control,” Camila Guzman, a local from Palma de Majorca, expressed her frustration as she joined over 50,000 protesters in July, with slogans like “Let’s save Majorca, foreigners out” making headlines.
In Barcelona, holidaymakers chowing down in eateries were met with protestors outside, some even getting a soaking from water guns aimed at ruining their grub. Footage on social media shows punters legging it from restaurants due to the ruckus.
With housing costs in Spain having shot up by a whopping 68 percent over the last ten years, residents reckon the surge in holiday lets is to blame for the price hike.
(Image: JAIME REINA/AFP via Getty Images)
People working seasonally in the hospitality sector and locals are finding it tough to bag a place that doesn’t break the bank near touristy areas, and even those with their own pads are feeling the pinch.
Eurostat, the stats office of the EU, previously reported that nearly half of Spanish renters are teetering on the edge of poverty because their digs cost more than they earn.
Barcelona’s rent prices are through the roof, reports El Pais, with an average city apartment setting you back about €1,171 (£986.54) a month just last year.
Earlier this summer, Greece’s popular tourist destinations, Santorini and Mykonos, announced plans to limit the number of cruise ships allowed to dock due to the overwhelming influx of tourists. The Greek National Tourism Organisation revealed that in 2023, cruise ships brought a staggering seven million people into Greece across 5,230 dockings, a significant increase from the 4.38 million people on 4,614 ships the previous year.
