A Spanish politician has called for sweeping limits on tourism, warning that booming visitor numbers are making it ‘impossible to live’ in some of the country’s most popular coastal cities.
Alberto Ibáñez, a lawmaker with left-wing Valencian coalition Compromís, said strict controls were now needed to rein in the industry as locals are increasingly pushed out.
Speaking to Europa Press, he claimed cities including Alicante and Valencia have reached breaking point, with neighbourhoods being transformed into ‘sets for tourists’.
Ibáñez has formally asked Spain‘s parliament to create a subcommittee to examine the impact of tourism on quality of life, arguing it should capture the growing ‘frustration’ felt by residents in hotspot destinations.
He warned that in many areas, traditional businesses are disappearing as cities cater more and more to visitors.
‘You close a bakery to open a locker rental or bike hire shop, with all the harm this causes,’ he said, backing what he described as ‘tourism degrowth’.
The politician also took aim at cruise tourism, claiming the number of passengers arriving in Valencia can exceed the city’s own population on busy days.
He argued that such visitors contribute little to the local economy while placing strain on infrastructure and the environment.
People are seen spraying tourists and buildings with water guns and pistols during an anti-tourism demonstration in Barcelona
Tourists are seen walking past a placard reading ‘less tourists’ during an anti-tourism protest in Barcelona
‘These are people who come down here and don’t know if they’re in Valencia, Seville or Barcelona,’ he said. ‘They buy the same souvenir and spend no more than five euros on a beer.’
Ibáñez added that expanding ports to accommodate more cruise ships should be ruled out, insisting arrivals must instead be capped.
He pointed to the high-rise resort of Benidorm as a warning of what can happen when tourism dominates a local economy.
‘We don’t need more tourists; we can’t accommodate any more,’ he said. ‘We can keep denying it until the day comes when there are no residents left.’
Despite concerns about the economic hit, he insisted cities such as Valencia are no longer dependent on tourism alone.
Instead, he argued, ‘tourism lives off the city and is devouring it’, calling for a wider economic rethink to create jobs beyond the sector.
His comments come amid growing backlash across Spain against overtourism, with protests and tighter restrictions already being introduced in several major destinations.