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

[SmileLady]

I added this on holidays board but no responses yet...

Just wanted some advice. I have only been to Spain 3 times in my 46 years. Times 1 &2 were educational trips when I was a student. But last year as a family we went to Mallorca for the first time in October and really enjoyed it. We stayed in a hotel, rented a car and did loads of day trips. The weather was terrible but we made the most of it.

We are a family of 7 (2 adult children, 3 younger kids, and us, of course). However, we are being put off by the demonstrations. We thought this time, we could maybe fly into Madrid, spend a few days in a B&B seeing the sites, and maybe get a train to Valencia and stay somewhere for a few days. Older children may not come straight with us, depending on work/sports.

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

Just to clarify, our ethnic origin is a very popular tourist island in the Med, and DH and I grew up working in the tourist industry, as did both our families. So I have seen the effect of limited tourism on the economy of an area.

Anyway, am I mad to still plan this trip?

One way for Spain is to ban all inclusive hotels as majority of holidaymakers who go to these places spend zilch in places including places like waterparks. Probably only buy a bottle of water past security on the way home.

I was a bit disappointed with Granada. It is pretty, but not as much as I had been expecting.

Partly because I don't want to go where I'm not wanted and partly because I'm not willing to give my money to a system that doesn't want me.

I'm with you on this one.

To be fair, Spanish owners like this are also part of the problem - she's choosing to rent out her second home as an Airbnb rather than a long term home. This is probably for very rational reasons for her individually (better returns, none of the risks that come with longer term rentals in Spain), but it is one less home available for locals.

However, I agree that the poster is extremely important unlikely to experience any problems. The protests are a sign of big problems in the Spanish tourism economy, but a few incidents have been overblown in the media.

I kind of see what you’re saying. Though whilst the motives may differ, the outcome remains the same whether the intent is to heed those protesting and not go or whether you say ‘fine, you don’t want me, I won’t go’ and not go. So irrespective of motive, it is what the protesters desire.

It’s a tricky issue because as always different groups have different needs and objectives. Those protesting are legitimately concerned about housing. Whilst others such as restauranteurs may be concerned about adverse publicity driving away tourists. Though it’s doubtful places like Barcelona have to worry too much about the latter. It’s really up to govt to put in measures to help.

Agree there are two many tourists for the island size, but maybe the demonstrators should be targeting the holiday companies as well and stopping them from using their hotels and accommodation? They are as much to blame too.

When we went to Mallorca last October, there weren't many tourists. Most places were closed for the season.

I do really want to see Vancia though!

I've been in Málaga and Mallorca in the last couple of months, and both times we felt perfectly welcome - no issues at all. The media have blown it all out of proportion.

Try crossing form Gibraltar to Spain, the Spanish are so rude and keep you waiting for no reason.

It would be a very expensive long-term rental. It wouldn't appeal to a big audience if that makes sense. I have a feeling this just wouldn't be an option for the owner, who lives in the other side of the house. It is like two large houses together. I think as well, the owner does use the house inbetween guests, and at times makes it unavailable, so again the other scenario wouldn't work (I don't think).

Its probably a family home if its in a village and next door, inherited and the family are renting it out while they try to sell it/split it. Inheritance laws are crazy here concerning property. Everyone in the family has a share by law. She would not have a second home next door. (IME)

This is a problem and why you see so many derelict and abandoned houses in the rural bits.

Jusr back from a business trip east of Madrid in Torrejon. The whole time i was there everybody was really friendly and welcoming.
Although wasn't in an all inclusive benidorm/mallorca environment

I live in Spain

They are planned protests. For example 1 in Barcelona last month with no more planned.
I was next to the protest watching it. It was in n easilg avoidable spot Then I read it in the English press. It was nothing like how it was portrayed

Dont worry about it

Oh I didn't think of it that way. If this is the case, it could be a good source of income. I do know the home has been an air bnb for a number of years though. The abundance of derelict homes is so very sad.

I was there. The protesters had water pistols they were not attacking tourists. They were in an easily avoidable area. If tourists decided to go and eat in the middle of a planned demonstration then what can i say.....

Ps it was water not a sawn off shot gun

No more protests are planned

Another reason I think Spanish anger towards tourists is misplaced. The law is awful, the burocracy is obscene, the squatting scene is rife, there is short supply of properties which are held to ransom by legislature. And yet, nobody is talking about it. Tourism is a low hanging fruit.

Very true. If people refused to stay, there would be no income at all. Hopefully it is helping the owner to make an income, maintain the property pay taxes, go out to work etc. The law sounds absolutely appalling, I don't understand why this is going on!

It's not black and white. I don't like staying in hotels with just a bedroom and no cooking facilities so I tend to book apartments (not with AirBNB).

Barcelona is my favourite place but I won't be going back there until all of this has blown over. We will also give Athens and the Greek Islands a swerve too.

However I think that the protesters are targeting the wrong people. Tourists come if there are facilities for them.

The authorities need to have licenses for a fixed number of short term rentals. All other rentals should have a minimum 6-12 month lease. It will increase the cost of a holiday let but can't be avoided.

Went to Spain last year.
Barcelona.
No issues at airport or in the complex we stayed at, staff were absolutely lovely. So were the people working in the restaurants, tourist shops etc

BUT when in the supermarkets and 'normal' shops where the Spanish public were they were very rude and dismissive of us.

We recently returned from Spain having visited Barcelona and Bilbao, and were made to feel very welcome in both cities (although we missed the Barcelona protests by days!). Bilbao was interesting as we were asked where we were from at every museum, attraction etc. - as if they were conducting some kind of city-wide survey to get a breakdown of source countries for tourism. We even enjoyed watching Spain's progress in the Euros with the locals in the hotel foyers - thankfully we were home in time for the finals... 😂

We were in Ibiza last month, no issues, all locals very friendly, airport was SO much friendlier and less stressful than UK ones!

That's exactly what i am worried about. We want to go to the main supermarket where the locals shop, it is supposed to be a good one. I'm scared to go, and feel like we'll have to go Lidl with the rest of the brit tourists like us! On holiday I like to go to places I can't go to at home.

My sister thinks I'm being ridiculous, I probably am! Dh is on the fence with it.

I wouldn’t let it put me off. I have never had bad experience with Spanish supermarkets. Learn a few cursory words - please, thank you, hello, bag.. and you should be fine.

We visited an area of Spain that is probably 99% Spanish tourists and we had no problem in the local supermarket. In two restaurants waiters thought I was Swedish (I do have Scandinavian heritage) so I don’t know if that makes a difference (probably not) and my DH has been asked if he is Spanish, Greek, Italian over the course of knowing him so I don’t know if people just thought he was Spanish but the big give away was us speaking in English in the supermarkets to each other, still didn’t get any disdainful looks. On the way back from the Spanish supermarket we got chatting to an old lady using the Spanish we knew. So my experience was positive.

We stayed in an all inclusive hotel in Spain in May.
I disagree there is no benefit of these hotels.
They accommodate hundreds/thousands of visitors without taking any homes out of circulation.

The hotel would have employed hundreds in bars/restaurants/ housekeeping/ maintenance/ grounds/ entertainment/ reception/ office/ management.

The pools (and so the water) are shared by hundreds in a day not one family like a villa. There is little strain on local roads/beaches etc as a coach drops off at resort and picks up and yes people mostly stay on resort.

Others that prefer to stay in local hotel/bed and breakfast and eat in local restaurants,/ drink in local bars can still do that - it's not either/or.

If housing is strained for local people by tourists it is up to the countries Government to ban short term lets or to limit them by requiring them to have planning permission to operate. Same in this country.

If there are too many visitors overall to a country perhaps they will have to look at limiting/charging for visas to visit. The world is always changing and the laws/processes need to change in response.