Is anybody avoiding booking holidays to Spain due to the demonstrations?

@Thursdaygirl yep- I live in Bath and whilst it can be a bit annoying especially at Xmas and bank holidays- it's why we've got lots of 'open' shops and facilities and keeps it buzzing. I want people to have a good time and enjoy it!

DS went to Barcelona recently on a school trip and they witnessed a demonstration but it was peaceful and they didn’t feel threatened at any point. He was upset they didn’t get squirted with water pistols as it was really hot 😂

I really hope that governments start listening and taking action around AirBnBs soon. A small number of rental flats and houses is generally ok but it’s becoming crazy that locals can’t find somewhere to live. I don’t understand why people renting out entire properties that are available for short term rent for more than a certain number of days a year aren’t taxed as businesses and subject to business rates, self-employment National Insurance etc. Then people might stop finding it more profitable to do short term lets than offering rental homes.

I live in Spain. I have no idea what demonstrations you are referring to. They are all part of daily mail plot to flog UK Plc? Honestly this is news to me. Book a holiday !

And yet we just entered the supermarket, chose things and bought them, already had bags on us just like a British supermarket! We didn’t have children with us as teens couldn’t be bothered to come with us!

I don't understand the problem with supermarkets?

Surely that is the one place where interraction is very limited with anyone! You get your trolley or basket, cruise the aisles, wonder at all the gorgeous different stuff, put it in the trolley/basket. Use google translate to figure out what some things actually are! Queue up at the register or use the self service, pay by card, and off you go. If using the cashier, they always ask if you need a bag which is "Bolsa" a Si or No gracias is all you need, oh and a big OLA to the cashier when putting your stuff on the belt. Normal mannerly stuff and all you need are four words, Ola, Si, No, Gracias.

There are fish counters, and meat counters yes, but for me, that is too bewildering and the language barrier can result in a lot of time used up while others are waiting to be served. I buy pre packed stuff from the fridges instead.

The main thing as a tourist is to visit mindfully. It is someone's home, not just a destination that exists for your pleasure.

Try and think about your impact on a place and engage respectfully.

How patronizing!!! The impact I had, during my recent holiday, was to increase the local economy. I didn't get leathered, fall over in the street, or get arrested. But thank you for the advice.

Honestly it has nothing to do with the current protests / anti tourism or even nothing specific to Spain.

Imagine a Spanish - or Italian, German, etc - family in Tesco. They don’t speak english that well and look like tourists: large backpack, the whole family there, kids excited by foreign items on offer ‘MUM! They have Oreo ice cream!!!’ , adults needing some time to convert prices to GBP, they don’t know that bags should be paid for, etc. Do you really think 100% of supermarket workers and patrons will treat them patiently and with kindness?

I'm a Londoner and we are rude, miserable pricks (apparently) yet still the tourists come.😁

I haven't read all the replies so apologies if I am repeating. I get the impression, from various news feeds, that much of the issue is with resorts like Mallorca where the locals are not so much upset about the tourists per se but the lack of affordable housing for local people caused by the increase in holiday lets. My DH is from Cornwall where this has been a huge problem for years with about 70% of the village he grew up in now being holiday homes.
I don't think it should put you off going but I think in future we are all going to have to look more carefully at sustainable tourism both in terms of local economies and climate change.

They would hate it of course. it would ruin anyone’s holiday. Most Spanish tourism is domestic, in any case. The British media that brought you Brexit seem to be painting it as an anti-Brits thing, it is not.

Please be mindful - Just as most would hate the Spanish to judge the entire British population on the behaviour of (quite) a few drunken louts in Benidorm, so would every Spaniard I have ever met hate to be judged based on a couple of drunken idiots getting carried away with a water pistol in Barcelona.

Do you think they don’t hassle their own MPs?! Actually Spain doesn’t have local representatives like the UK does but I can assure you that the mayors get a lot of flak!

Returned from Valencia a few weeks ago. No ill feeling at all and had a bloody great time.

Me and DP have been together almost 15 years and have only been abroad together 3 times. Twice with DC. We are thinking of going abroad next year for the first time in about 4 years and Spain is off our list.

I have to go to Spain frequently, I just pretend I can’t speak English.

I thought it mean of the protestors in Barcelona spraying diners at the restaurant - why not go and spray the local councillors or MPs.

Do they not themselves ever visit cities abroad - and how would they like it if they came to London and I water-pistoled them?

We went to Madrid earlier this year and did not encounter any hostility at all.

I think I would still go as you enjoyed it so much last time.
i can understand your concern, nobody likes feeling unwelcome somewhere, however my friend went a few weeks ago and said she didn’t feel any hostility etc, so I think you’ll be okay xx

It wasn't for us, when we compared like for like. We went through a private owner though, not a company.

Hotels are often cheaper than air bnbs by the time you add in all the extra charges.

Haha. The most unpleasant, miserable, rudest staff I have ever had the misfortune to be yelled at by. I would never fly from Stansted again.

I've been to Spain lots of times and I always thought there was a lot of Spanish people who were deliberately rude, unhelpful or unfriendly to tourists/ foreigners.
Have you ever been to Paris? I wonder why they haven't sold as many Olympic tickets as expected.

Exactly, and if the prices of hotels didn't equal, or prove more expensive than an air bnb, more people may shun them. They don't help the issue forcing parents to pay out so much more in the summer hols, meaning facilities are needed so you're not forced to pay for food in restaurants every night.
Hotels aren't always doable, I personally find them difficult with young dcs, and my ND dc would be overwhelmed, and not do well in one. For this reason, we require an appt/air bnb/villa in a quiet area with facilities, but haven't gone for a big company taking away housing from locals.
I think a balance is needed, tourism is essential for their economy, but over tourism is no good either.

DH and I spent a week in Madrid last month and didn’t see any protestors.

we had a fabulous trip. I would go.

I’m actually in Spain at the moment, 3rd trip this year and not seen any issues.

We returned from Spain on July 4th after 11 nights spent in Alicante and Tarragona. Both were busy and the vast majority of visitors were Spanish.That's not too surprising when you think about it! We encountered nothing but agreeable altitudes.
The problem for oversubscribed cities such as Palma and Barcelona is caused by properties being given over to platforms such as Airbnb rather than hotels. This obviously reduces the housing stock for locals.
The wider issue of overcrowding in places like Mallorca, Dubrovnik and Barcelona etc arises in part from an increase in global tourism with new nations travelling more. Cruise ship passenger dumps are often unpopular with many locals. Programmes such as Game of Thrones can encourage a huge increase in visitors to 'remote' areas like the West Coast of Scotland!
It doesn't help that school holidays are all clustered over a limited time span.
We now eschew Airbnb self-catering accommodation, (can't be arsed cooking on holiday), and prefer hotels or dedicated holiday apartments.
I suspect an anti anti- tourist backlash will occur when those whose livelihoods depend on tourism feel it in their pockets.😉
Happy travels folks!

I have to say, the immigration control officers were really nice in Majorca! To us anyway.
@CarolynKnappShappeyShipwright that is really sad. I don’t think some appreciate that there is a down side to the tourism industry for residents. It’s absolutely why I’ll be respecting that, in some areas, the people who live there and are struggling with the impact of tourism would prefer us to stay away. For now at least. I’m not entitled and I would prefer not to upset anyone. It’s certainly not just British tourists that this is aimed at from what I understand.

I've been to Spain lots of times and I always thought there was a lot of Spanish people who were deliberately rude, unhelpful or unfriendly to tourists/ foreigners. It was always kind of low level annoying stuff, like being ignored in a café. Or your kid being made unwelcome. Or being overcharged. Or being sent in a wrong direction. It was never a massive issue and was not done in an evil sort of way but it was always there.

I just see it as a necessary evil if you want a cheap beach holiday - besides, not all Spanish are like that, there are plenty of nice friendly ones.

If you want a lovely friendly holiday, go to Italy.

We're sailing to Santander on Friday and staying in Biarritz. We're planning a day trip to San Sebastian and have no concerns. I might think twice if we were actually staying in Spain itself, but I should think the cities do very well from tourism and protests are not widespread.

Incidentally, the scariest and most unfriendly border control I've ever encountered was in the US. Mind you, it was only a few months after 9/11 and my (male) friend and I accidentally mixed up our passports on the aeroplane, so I can't say I blame them! We were only 22 at the time.