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

That’s really sad @CarolynKnappShappeyShipwright , thank you for sharing.

A few people are commenting on the Brits Abroad style holidays.

I live in San Sebastián which is a high end destination because of its gastronomy. We get huge amounts of tourists each year (most Dutch, then German, then British I think) and they are all what the town calls “high quality tourists” and they don’t get drunk or make noise and they are polite and respectful.

It is still a huge problem, as more and more 4* hotels go up where we need housing, the council has given away public sports fields to build a fancy new gastronomy center, we’ve had roadworks for years so they can build an unnecessary metro and pintxo prices double in summer. House prices there are now the highest after Madrid. 3 bed normal flats going for a million euros.

We haven’t had any demonstrations as far as I know, and I’ve never seen or heard anything directed at the tourists themselves(I’m english so in summer it’s always assumed im a tourist) but there is frustration with the way the mayor is throwing money at the tourism sector with gay abandon and ignoring the impact on young families. Schools are closing as families are forced out. My DS is in a class on twelve kids. In a city!

Have those of you commenting on airport security staff never flown from Stansted?!!

”wakey wakey walkey walkey yeh muppets”

If I’d booked I’d still go, but if I hadn’t I’d choose somewhere else where they wanted tourists and wanted my money. So many places to choose from.

Spent a week in Barcelona in the past month. Didn’t see any of that. Or felt threatened in any way - I travelled with my young child.

We've just come back from two weeks in the Costa de la Luz. No problems to report, although we were a rarity being English tourists, as it's predominantly Spanish holidaymakers there!

I’m in Tenerife right now - it’s fine! No issues to report, no protests and no unwelcome feelings!

Agreed and as someone else said. They are curt at best in most countries. They are like Nazis in some States of the US and Prison Guards in the other states!

Went to Barcelona last summer and Seville this spring. No issues whatsoever. It’s not just British tourists. We are always respectful and don’t do the brits abroad style holidays .

I’ve been to Spain three times this year; would not put me off. The protests have been taken out of context by the UK media imo. The people are protesting about specific things, not tourists in general. Book the holiday!

We went to Mallorca at the start of the month. We had a great time. People were their usual friendly selves! The protests aren't about the tourists as such, it's how the locals struggle to afford to live in the areas their families have always been. They aren't daft, they realise they need tourism, it just needs to be managed better.

I say go. You aren't the problem. The problem is with their governments not regulating things properly.

I’m currently in Malaga and heading back to Madrid for a week on Friday.
(Flew into Madrid originally as cheaper then got a train to Malaga)
Wasn’t aware of any issues until I read the post!! Not seen or heard anything.

Been lovely so far :)
Even managed to fly out the day before the IT issue 👌🏼

I’ve just got back from a holiday in Spain. I had to Google to check what this thread was about. Absolutely no sign of any protests or anti-tourist sentiments where we were. Quite the opposite. We’re planning to go back to Spain later this year because we had such a lovely time.

I hope wherever you decide to go OP, that you have a fabulous time.

We’ve been to Spain a fair bit over the years. We then discovered Turkey and haven’t looked back. Much better resorts, so much cleaner and the people cannot do enough for you. We have always found the Spanish to be quite off when they realise you’re English and this has happened a few times. We also love Greece, the people are wonderful and accommodating.

On the one hand, this is being blown out of all proportion by the media. On the other, the protesters have a fair point. Tourism, especially the Airbnb type, prices local people out of homes. I live in Cornwall and some towns are so full of holiday lets and second homes that any local community has ceased to exist. I don’t know what the answer is but I certainly wouldn't be put off visiting Spain and imagine the likelihood of encountering real hostility is minute..

Some store owners would be sitting in the back, and huff amd puff that they had to come out and put your stuff through the till. Could this just be some miserable people you encountered that would have reacted that way anyway?
Maybe @SweetCreamandCaramel! Definitely a possibility that we were just unlucky with coming across some naturally grumpy people who aren’t suited to working with people!

We were in Alcúdia. Stayed at Zafiro Palace. Spoke in our best Spanish although they answered us in English so we obviously aren’t nailing the accent!
We were sat at a restaurant one evening and a lovely English family asked for a table, they were turned away, then an equally lovely local family came along and were seated straight away without a booking. It was little things like that. The hotel staff were absolutely lovely though, it was just when we went out on an evening it was noticed. Some people in the shops followed us round until we left - the children were looking (not touching) around a couple of the shops.

Nope booked elsewhere this year. Even if there is any pretence that the demonstrations are not any tourists vs anti tourism (same difference in my book), who wants that vibe on holiday? Or bring sprayed with water or seeing graffiti. Be careful what you wish for.

I am not unsympathetic but the issues are with their own governments not effecting proper controls. I don’t travel abroad in peak times so don’t feel I am a cause- but why not choose to holiday in UK in our ‘summer’?

It is anti tourist rather than anti British. It’s just that Brits are probably the largest proportion of tourists in spain

The Telegraph reports that the following are not welcoming tourism at the moment (worse to least)
Majorca
Barcelona
Amsterdam (Husband was there on business the other week though and there were no problems).
Venice
Split
Tenerife
Santorini
Capri
Provence
Corfu.

Was this in a known tourist spot? I know many shops and restaurants depend on tourists, or they would close down. I remember being on holiday years ago and locals being unfriendly both in Greece, and in Spain.
Some store owners would be sitting in the back, and huff amd puff that they had to come out and put your stuff through the till. Could this just be some miserable people you encountered that would have reacted that way anyway?
The one time I remember a friendly owner of a shop was when the man thought I was a local, and spoke in Greek. Dh had been in just before and he spoke in English to him, and was rude.

I had a very different experience, no sign of any problems

However, DH now says we should respect the Spanish and not go if they don't want tourists.

Having just come back from 10 days in Majorca, I came away thinking the whole situation has been over-blown by the media. We had no problems at all and we’re going back in September