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Date Published: 23/10/2024

Airlines see danger ahead with UK tabloid coverage of anti-tourist sentiment in Spain

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The airlines are planning a record winter of tourism, but fear protests will impact figures

Manifestación contra turistas en Canarias.

O sea, vas a que te claven por todas partes (que es lo que ocurre cuando eres turista) y ¿la población local encima TE CHILLA 🤷‍♂️?

¡Se supone que eres tú el que tiene que CHILLARLE A LA POBLACIÓN LOCAL!

pic.twitter.com/BJgwigPmdg
— ❤️‍🩹 Carlos Clavijo Cositas Buenas (@carlosclavijo22) October 21, 2024

Many Spanish citizens across the country have taken to the streets this year to protest about the number of tourists who visit Spain. The Spanish believe that many of their problems of high rents and housing prices stem from overtourism.

The president of the Spanish Airline Association (ALA) said on Tuesday that the social protests that have been taking place this summer in Spain have not impacted the tourist trade.

The president was worried, however, that tabloid papers in the United Kingdom may eventually affect travellers as they continue to sensationalise the issues regarding the anti-tourist protest.

In this regard, the president believes it is dangerous for the image of Spaniards not wanting tourists to spread through these types of publications, and has therefore stressed that “we must be careful”.

His comments come in the wake of a large gathering of anti-tourism protestors in Gran Canaria on October 20.

Read also: Welcome the rise of ‘Slow Tourism’—One town in Murcia, Spain has a new model to fight overcrowding

Many believe that the protests are not stemming from hatred of tourists, but rather from a situation which is troubling all of Europe. The lack of affordable housing and the ever increasing costs of rents are creating pressure on the natives of those areas that have a large influx of tourists.

The president pointed out that, although it is not affecting the sector at the moment, it is necessary to “tackle the problem” in some areas, such as the Canary Islands, where the problem “is not tourism, but something else”.

In Lanzarote, however, there has been a new type of protest on the island. A ‘We Love Tourism’ rally has taken place just hours after the anti-tourism demonstration took place on the streets of Gran Canaria.

Related story: ‘We Love You’ Mallorca residents share the love amid anti-tourism protests

The demonstrators believe that the tourists are not to blame for the problems facing the island. In fact, many believe that they would struggle financially if tourists were to leave the island.

Augusto Ferreira, a restaurant owner from Puerto del Carmen, was one of the organisers of the ‘Lanzarote Loves Tourism’ march. He said fears of mass tourism were being stoked by politicians “playing political games”, and that thousands of locals in Lanzarote rely on holidaymakers for their livelihoods.

The pro-tourism march in Lanzarote followed the same route as the anti-tourism demonstration hours earlier. According to Spanish media, many tourists in Puerto del Carmen “cheered and applauded” them as they went past, and asked how they could pledge their support.

For more information, news and what’s on visit our homepage at Spanish News Today

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