In Artà, Majorca, anti-tourist protests have occurred with graffiti sprayed on walls and houses and rental car tires slashed, according to multiple reports. The local Civil Guard has been informed about the rental car tire-slashing incident, which reportedly affected several vehicles. The mayor of Artà, Manolo Galán, condemned the anti-tourist vandalism incidents.
Britons traveling to Spain this summer have been warned to expect a hostile atmosphere due to planned anti-tourism protests, multiple reports indicate. Activists in Mallorca say resident frustration has reached a breaking point, with mass demonstrations planned over overcrowding, rising costs, and infrastructure pressure. Similar anti-tourist actions have been reported in Seville, where protesters have scrawled messages against short-term rentals on building facades and sealed key lockboxes with silicone, according to multiple reports.
It is unknown whether the incidents in Artà and Seville are coordinated or isolated events. Anti-tourism protests have been increasing in Spain since travel resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple reports show. 9% increase from August 2024, according to the National Statistics Institute.
In response to overtourism and housing issues, the Spanish government removed about 53,000 tourist flats from the Single Register of Tourist and Seasonal Rentals in September 2024 to convert them into permanent rentals, multiple reports confirm. New rules have also been introduced after protests against overtourism and housing shortages, targeting foreign property buyers in tourist areas like Mallorca. The government's actions aim to address the housing crisis exacerbated by tourism, while activists continue to push for more comprehensive solutions to the pressures of overtourism.