1 May, 2024 @ 19:59
1 min read

‘Anti-tourism’ movement in Spain spreads to Granada: Locals blast ‘invasion’ of visitors making the city ‘unliveable’ – while more graffiti emerges

THE ‘anti-tourism’ movement in Spain appears to be growing by the day following the historic demonstrations in the Canary Islands last month.

Granada is the latest city to join the fray, with locals on social media complaining their streets are inundated with tourists ‘day and night’.

The city is nestled in the heart of Andalucia, the southernmost region, and is home to the Alhambra Palace, the most visited site in the country.

However locals from the historic neighbourhood below the palace have now set up a social media page to blast the ‘tourist invasion’, which they claim has made the area ‘unliveable’.

READ MORE: British expat joins protests against tourism in Spain – but insists there’s ‘no beef’ against holidaymakers

Recent graffiti spotted in Granada in Andalucia (COPYRIGHT OLIVE PRESS SPAIN)

The newly-created Albayzin Habitable page reads: “Join us… we are protesting against the limitless tourist invasion… for a liveable neighbourhood and city.”

The first video on the page shows groups of unsuspecting tourists being filmed as they take in the city’s sights.

One local commented: “From dawn until dask.”

Another added: “The goose with the golden eggs… they thought we were sleeping.

“The abuse and crossing of limits is bringing a revolution. This neighbourhood is ours, it always has been and we have always had visitors.

“But when the balance is unequal, watch out!”

Meanwhile, graffiti in the city can be seen reading: “@tourist: don’t buy culture,” with the words “f**k Airbnb” scrawled below.

It comes as a huge protest is being planned by ‘fed-up’ locals in Malaga who say they are tired of ‘over tourism, s**t salaries and property exploitation.’

Video of tourists shared by a new ‘anti-tourism’ Instagram page in Granada showing a broken-heart emoji
Protests against tourism in the Canary Islands
Last month’s protests against tourism in the Canary Islands (Credit: X (Twitter), Willy Veleta)

In a post on Instagram, a tenant support organisation in the city set the date for the ‘big demonstration’ as June 29.

It follows an enormous similar protest in the Canary Islands last month, which saw more than 60,000 take to the streets.

The organisation, Sindicato de Inquilinas de Malaga, wrote on Instagram: “Malaga has become an unliveable city for those of us who live in it. IT’S OVER! WE WANT A MALAGA TO LIVE AND NOT TO SURVIVE.”

Malaga city (Copyright Olive Press Spain)

It added: “The problem is well known: touristification and plundering of the territory, exploitation of housing, work and life. S**t salaries, s**t cohabitation and s**t rents. We are clear: IF I CAN’T PAY I WILL NOT PAY!

“We know that there are many of us who are fed up and determined to defend a friendly, livable city, THE CITY OF THE LOCALS!”

“On JUNE 29, the Malaga Tenants Union calls for a GREAT PROTEST for decent housing and against the processes of touristification and impoverishment of life. On JUNE 29, it all begins.”

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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