Travel Agents Warn: Tourists Fear Spain Over Anti-Tourism Frenzy
Rising Concerns Over Anti-Tourism Protests in Spain
Holidaymakers are increasingly avoiding certain parts of Spain due to fears of being targeted by anti-tourism activists, according to a recent warning from a travel industry leader. Mark Meader, vice-president of the US ASTA travel association, highlighted this issue during a summit in Jaén, Andalusia, where he mentioned that scenes of activists using water pistols on tourists have discouraged some Americans from visiting Barcelona.
The topic of combating what is referred to as 'tourism phobia' was a central theme at the conference. This comes after Spain's travel industry experienced a significant decline this year, following a wave of anti-tourism demonstrations across the country during the summer months.
The drop in tourism has been partly attributed to weaker spending from European and American visitors, with industry leaders suggesting that the protests have scared off potential travelers. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in cities such as Barcelona, Mallorca, and Tenerife, criticizing mass tourism for increasing rents, pushing residents out of their neighborhoods, and overloading city centers.
In Barcelona, activists were seen marching through popular tourist areas, holding placards and squirting sightseers with water pistols as a form of protest against overtourism.
This growing backlash has prompted the UK-based travel body ABTA to provide guidance to its members on how to reassure worried clients about traveling to Spain. Susan Deer, ABTA's director of institutional relations, noted that British agencies are receiving more questions from customers who have seen a lot of anti-tourism coverage in the UK media over the past 18 months.
Despite the headlines, Deer emphasized that visitor numbers to Spain have remained largely stable. She stated that it has not changed travel habits, adding that people have not wanted to stop traveling to Spain, despite the topics in the media. "That has to do with destination management and the work of the agencies," she said.
Meader echoed these sentiments, acknowledging that negative media coverage plays a role in discouraging tourists from visiting Spain. He mentioned that travel agencies have a 'good opportunity' to educate consumers in today's complex world but admitted that the reports have unsettled some tourists.
"Some Americans have been afraid to go to Barcelona because they thought they were going to be shot with a water pistol," he added.
This situation follows a report by the industry group Exceltur, which stated in October that growth in Spain's tourism industry has declined. The group warned that Spain's contribution to this year's economic growth will be weaker than expected.
Exceltur now expects all tourism-related activity in the world's second most-visited country to grow by 2.8% in 2025, a revision down from 3.3% growth estimated in July and from a 5.5% expansion last year. The group also estimated that the tourism industry will contribute 13.1% to Spain's gross domestic product this year, below its initial estimate of 13.5%.
'Tourism is no longer the main dynamiser of the Spanish economy,' Exceltur Vice President Oscar Perelli stated at a news conference, adding that the sector will no longer far exceed Spain's expected economic growth of 2.6%.
The number of international tourists may fall short of the 100 million projected by the World Travel and Tourism Council earlier this year. Last year, Spain registered a record 94 million tourists. By August this year, 66.8 million tourists had arrived, up 3.9% from the same period a year ago.
