In 2017, the Spanish anarchist group, Arran, undertook a series of actions against tourists. These added up to some frightening encounters in which international visitors imagined themselves on the brink of physical harm.
But Arran’s actions included no physical punishment. They aimed to discourage the overwhelming numbers of tourists who annually invade Spain. Beyond warning that more anti-tourism action might be required to discourage tourists from visiting Spain, for several years Arran has been mostly quiet.
Recently however, they’ve been threatening once again to engage in disruptive behaviour towards visitors.
Whether lured by sun, sand and scenery, or a dose of European civic history, the arrival of plane-loads of rude, crude, bad attitude holidaymakers are making locals feel like foreigners in their own cities. Meanwhile, short stay holiday rental prices have driven up the cost of housing enough to impoverish local citizens and threaten them with homelessness.
What are current Spanish solutions? Aside from Arran’s threats to repeat some of its aggressively discouraging interactions with international visitors, other players have become involved.
The first example below suggests how seriously some actors are taking the discouragement of tourists. From The Olive Press, an ex-pat English newspaper: EXCLUSIVE: Brits told ‘go home, we will p**s in your beer. This article is, alas, paywalled, making it difficult to experience the full flavour of the hostility.
More revealing, read more in La Prensa Latina: Anti-tourism sentiment grips Spain as sector sees post-pandemic boom
. . . and from INSIDER: An anti-capitalist group in Spain placed fake warning signs on beaches to keep tourists away
As for earlier anti-tourist activities by Arran anarchists, read more in the INDEPENDENT: Anarchist group threatens new attacks on tourists in Spain after targeting Barcelona and Mallorca
And in case the strong anti-tourist sentiments are believed to be a unique form of ‘Spanish Flu,’ it would seem to be a disease that is catching in Europe. Read more at Forbes: Tourists Go Home! Fed Up With Over-tourism, European Hotspots Impose Bans, Fines, Taxes
