Spain vacationer hotspot introduces ban in heavy blow to holidaymaking Brits
A Spanish city famous for its annual bull-running festival has taken extreme measures to tackle the negative effects of over-tourism.
The locals of Pamplona, burdened by the impact that tourist accommodation has on the local rental and property market, have resorted to sealing the key boxes of tourist flats with glue. The city’s yearly festival attracts roughly a million visitors worldwide, leading to a spike in demand for short-term rentals and escalating prices for local inhabitants.
In May, they took drastic steps to voice their protest against the influence of over-tourism on their city, resorting to gluing up key boxes for tourist flats.
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The city has witnessed its residents becoming increasingly exasperated with the pressure that tourist accommodation is exerting on the local rental and property market, reports Bristol Live.
(Image: Getty Images)
In May, ahead of this year’s bull run, protestors expressed their fury by damaging key boxes outside tourist flats with glue or silicone.
The left-wing coalition group governing the city council has now resolved not to issue any more licences for tourist flats in the old town, according to The Express.
The council pointed to “rising house prices, both for sale and rent, the worsening difficulties of [the] commercial sector as well as the loss of identity of the historic centre” as reasons for the ban, which will be enforced later this year.
It stated: “When the tourist apartments offered have very high prices compared to the supply of permanent housing, it generates tension mainly in the rental market and substantial increases in housing prices.
Joxe Abauerra, of the Basque separatist EH Bildu party, said: “We are taking this measure because we [don’t want] to allow any more tourist flats in the city centre. This is an important measure.
(Image: Getty Images)
“We support sustainable tourism, and we want to preserve the city centre as a residential area and for local commerce. Protests have erupted throughout Spain, with residents expressing concern about what they describe as the effects of over-tourism on their lives.
“These protests include demonstrations in popular destinations such as Barcelona, Tenerife, Majorca, and other Balearic Islands, where locals have been vocal against the influx of tourists. Recent figures indicate that Majorca has seen a 10% drop in tourist numbers, with many visitors pledging not to return due to the hostile reception towards mass tourism.
“A letter from a British holidaymaker, which appeared in the Majorca Daily Bulletin on Wednesday, recounted troubling experiences on the island.
The holidaymaker, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared that their pregnant daughter was subjected to cries of “Tourists go home” after she disclosed her nationality while caught in traffic.
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