‘Go f*cking home’: The European cities where
locals are fighting back against overtourism
Picturesque
but troubled: A view of Malaga's centre
By Saskia
O'Donoghue
Published
on 15/03/2024 - 15:29•Updated 18/03/2024 - 10:09
Millions of
holidaymakers visit the Costa de Sol and Málaga, one of its most popular
destinations, every year, but now locals are saying enough is enough.
Málaga
locals are frustrated by the growing influx of tourists and now they’re
expressing their feelings in no uncertain terms.
The Spanish
city’s centre has been hit with a wave of stickers, posted on walls and doors,
telling visitors what residents think of them.
Walk the
streets of Málaga and you’ll see these daubs, ranging from the fairly mild
“this used to be my home” (antes esta era mi casa) and “this used to be the
city centre” (antes esto era el centro) all the way to “go f*cking home” (a tu
puta casa), “stinking of tourist” (apestando a turista).
Why are Málaga locals so irate with tourists?
The city on
the Costa del Sol has long been a popular destination for visitors, thanks to
its sunny climate and relatively low cost of living. However, it’s recently
become an even more desirable destination for holidaymakers and digital nomads
alike.
Many locals
have simply had enough. Bar owner Dani Drunko runs a much-frequented bar in
Málaga called Drunkorama. He started the ‘sticker initiative’, having favourite
anti-tourist phrases given to him by bar regulars printed and posted around the
city.
Speaking to
a local newspaper Diario Sur, Drunko explained that he began the campaign after
he was apparently “kicked out” of the home he’d lived in for a decade.
He claimed
that the landlord refused to negotiate the rent or even sell him the property.
The reason? They wanted to turn it into a short-term rental for tourists.
“There’s a
lot of hype because locals are tired of the situation; I just suggested the
idea of the catchphrases, I offered the spark, and now others have joined,” Drunko told Diario Sur.
“Málaga
city centre has been going downhill for a long time, so much so that if for
example something in my bar breaks, I don't have a hardware store on hand to
buy anything, since the tourist who comes doesn’t need to buy screws,” he
added.
Local
politician Dani Pérez took to X - formerly Twitter - to add his voice to the
growing discontentment.
“You walk
the streets of Málaga and it is practically impossible to find a residential
building that does not have a lockbox [for tourist rentals],” he wrote, going
on to accuse the city’s mayor, Paco de la Torre, of “not lifting a finger for
the people of Malaga” and “expelling them from the city where they were born.”
Last
November, a local reporter for news website The Local Spain reported that
Málaga is “definitely busier than before during low season,” while confirming
the existence of lockboxes “everywhere” and commenting that restaurant prices
have seen huge hikes in recent months.
What makes Málaga so popular with foreign visitors?
Spain’s
Costa del Sol, home to Málaga, has been hugely popular with tourists for years.
In 2023, a record 14 million holidaymakers from Spain and abroad visited - and
a fair few visitors decided to make the city their home.
Recent data
from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that eight out of 10 new
residents moving to Málaga are currently foreigners.
It’s not
just individuals changing the face of the city, though. Some 630 tech
companies, including Google, have opened offices in Málaga, turning it into a
quasi-Silicon Valley of Europe.
That has
the knock on effect of drawing thousands of international remote workers and
digital nomads, attracted by the heady combination of a pleasant work
environment and warm climate.
Málaga
locals, though, think enough is enough, believing they are being priced out and
alienated from their own home city.
Earlier in March, the Canary Islands - a territory of
Spain - saw graffiti pop up ordering tourists to “go home”.
With its
year-round sun and warm weather, the Canaries are an always-popular destination
for foreign visitors - and tourism is seen as the island group’s largest money
maker.
One of the
most popular islands, Tenerife, recently declared a water emergency. That added
more fuel to the fire for locals, as some tourist areas there use up to six
times more water than residential areas, putting pressure on reserves crucial
for drinking water and farming.
In
February, nearby Gran Canaria saw walls emblazoned with the message, 'tourists
and digital nomads go home', something newspaper the Canarian Weekly reported
as 'tourismphobia'.
On the
Balearic island Mallorca last August, residents put up fake signs along a
number of beaches, reading: “beware of dangerous jellyfish” and “caution,
falling rocks”.
All written
in English, the signs also featured, in smaller print, explanations in Catalan
informing locals that warnings are not real. Instead, the text read: “the
problem isn’t a rockfall, it’s mass tourism” and “beach open except for
foreigners (guiris) and jellyfish”.
Overtourism
isn’t just a problem in Spanish territories, though.
Many
European nations have been putting tourist taxes in place, including Venice
which has also banned cruise ships from entering its endangered canal system.
In
Amsterdam, authorities and locals alike have been trying for months to
encourage - mostly British - drunken tourists to stay away and in Kyoto, Japan,
roads have been sealed off to ensure the city doesn't become a ‘theme park’.
Other top
tourist destinations are begging people not to visit, with many simply not
having the infrastructure to accommodate them.
Hawaii is
on many people’s bucket lists, but continues to struggle with hospitality
worker shortages, congested roads and 90-minute restaurant waiting times as
tourists still arrive in droves.
While the
problem does appear to be a global one, it is Spain that is leading the
grassroots fight back.
Graffiti in
Barcelona last year read: “We spit in your beer. Cheers!” - yet tourists
continue to flock there.
Euronews
Travel reached out to the Málaga tourist board for comment but have yet to
receive a response.
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