Tourism can be great. It can boost a local economy and allow cultural exchange between travellers and locals, but when left unchecked, it can be disastrous. Few European nations know this as well as Spain.
Spain’s economy might rely on tourism, but the negative impact of overtourism on local life has reached a boiling point. Barcelona anti-tourist demonstrations have become common during peak season, and recently, residents in Mallorca penned an open letter to foreign property investors, declaring simply: ‘You are not welcome’.
The Spanish government has been trying to cut down on the number of holiday rentals in popular areas for a while, and it’s now started to ramp up those efforts. Earlier this year, 65,000 lets were prevented from advertising online, and now, a further 53,000 tourist flats have been identified as non-compliant with housing regulations.
The regulations require all holiday homes to be registered, meaning that they can no longer operate as short-term lets. The law came into effect on January 2 of this year.
The Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the decision to remove the listings just over a week ago, according to euronews, saying: ‘We have detected thousands of irregularities in many of these homes that are intended to become holiday and tourist rentals’. Those homes will be converted into ‘permanent rentals for young people and families in our country’, he added.
Websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com have been asked to remove any existing ads for these properties with immediate effect. Airbnb has said that they are happy to cooperate with the government, and that the move will have ‘no significant business impact’. The company added that ‘this is a new chapter for Airbnb in Spain, defined by a proactive commitment to collaboration, quality and a long-term vision of sustainable growth’.
Nearly 17,000 of the illegal flats were in Andalusia, making it the worst-affected region. More than 8,600 were in the Canary Islands, and a further 7,500 were in the Valencian Community.
What the clampdown means for your trip to Spain
Other than there being potentially fewer short-term rentals to choose from, your trip to Spain won’t be affected. If you want to reduce your impact, you could think about booking a stay in one of Spain’s stellar hotels or underrated cities.
If you’ve booked an unregistered holiday home that is no longer being advertised, you will need to get in touch with the property owner for more information. They may simply be in the process of registering, or providing their registration number to the platform. If they’re not responsive, contact customer support for the platform you booked on to request a refund or compensation. You may also be able to request alternative accommodation be provided, although this will vary on a case-by-case basis.
More on overtourism in Europe
Can Europe ever recover from this level of overtourism? How can you be a better tourist when you travel – and a more sustainable one? We’ve got the answers.
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