All the parts of Spain where UK tourists face tension this summer

All the parts of Spain which are set to have tension with UK tourists have been revealed. Some tourists face protests in Lanzarote and Tenerife amid an anger over growing numbers of holidaymakers and tourists from Britain, while other resorts are introducing fees for visitors.

The Canary Islands tourism minister has urged British holidaymakers to not cancel their holidays. Tensions have been soaring in recent weeks over water usage, a lack of housing and pollution that locals say is linked to overtourism.

Graffiti has appeared in popular areas telling visitors to “go home”. “Tourists are worried and they tell us so,” said Carlos Magdalena, a Tenerife restaurant owner. “We are being fools right now - they’ll be rejoicing elsewhere.” But Mr Gonzalez said “savage development” had led to the environmental issues and depleted funds for public services and social housing.

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“The Canaries are wearing out” group is demanding a complete moratorium on hotel building, the introduction of an ecotax on each overnight stay, restrictions on purchases of homes by foreigners, and a freeze on the number of tourism arrivals."

Canary Islands

This weekend protesters will hit the streets in the Canary Islands and cities across Europe - including London - to call for changes to protect the traditional way of life. A week ago a hunger strike was launched in a bid to force the islands' government to act.

Despite the recent outbreak of anti-tourism rhetoric in the area, the regional tourism chief Jessica de León has stressed that the islands are still open for business. She told the Telegraph: “It is still safe to visit the Canary Islands, and we are delighted to welcome you.”

Ms de León acknowledged the frustrations of locals over matters such as a lack of housing but added it was “unfair to blame tourism”.

Barcelona

Barcelona’s tourist tax rose earlier this month. Visitors to Barcelona have to pay both the regional tourist tax and the city-wide surcharge. The regional tax varies depending on the type of accommodation you are staying in. For four-star hotels it is €1.70, for rental accommodation like Airbnb it is €2.25, and for five-star and luxury hotels it is €3.50.

Cruise passengers spending less than 12 hours in the city pay €3 to the region, while those spending more than 12 hours pay €2. The city tax, which applies to a maximum seven-night stay, has been steadily increasing. In April 2023, it rose from €1.75 to €2.75 for all types of stay. From April 2024, it will increase once again to €3.25.

Benidorm

Tourists and locals alike are banned from setting foot on the sands between the hours of midnight and 7am, with swimming, sleeping on the beach and camping on the sands also strictly forbidden. Anyone caught on the beach between these hours may face a fine of between €750 and €1,200 (£640 to £1,025).

Other rules that have been introduced in the Spanish summer hotspot deal with fairly innocuous activities, such as playing ball games outside of designated areas or reserving a place on the sands with a parasol. These come with fines closer to £100.

Other fines are more obvious and often address environmental concerns. The heaviest fine you can receive is for smoking on the beach, a penalty of €2,000 (£1,700).

Majorca

Majorca, one of Spain’s leading beach holiday destinations, could issue British tourists with 3,000 euro (£2,563) fines for bad behaviour this summer. Speaking at a tourism fair this week, Palma’s mayor warned that the island was introducing tougher penalties for anti-social behaviour.

Jaime Martinez, mayor of Palma, said: “Playa de Palma says enough is enough”. A beach resort, Playa de Palma is one of Majorca’s top nightlife destinations. The mayor warned there would be a zero tolerance policy on vandalism, street drinking and fights.

He added: “The same things we demand of our citizens, we demand of our visitors.”

Malaga

In Malaga, posters have been put up telling tourists to "f*** off". Bar owner Dani Drunko said: "I live in a neighbourhood of Malaga called Fuente Olletas and was told a few weeks ago the owner wouldn't be renewing my rental contract.

"And I had to leave because the property was going to be readapted for tourist lets. Every day I'm receiving photos of new stickers and people that are making it go viral. There's a lot of movement because citizens are sick of the situation."

Magaluf has also introduced changes for holidaymakers, with a focus on "quality" rather than "quantity" of tourists.