On January 13, Spain’s president, Pedro Sánchez, announced a 12-step plan to provide the country’s residents with more affordable housing through increased property options, improving existing regulations, and expanded government support. A day later, Málaga’s city council implemented a modification to its General Urban Ordinance Plan (PGOU), prohibiting new short-term tourist properties in 43 districts. The three-year ban on most new vacation rentals, likely to be extended, aims to help curb overtourism in densely populated areas and offer cost-effective housing for locals. This action follows similar tourist housing restrictions in popular destinations nationwide, including Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville.
Malaga’s incentive, misleadingly dubbed a “tourist ban” by British press headlines, confused potential visitors. Many took to social media to question whether Spain’s mass tourism issues had finally resulted in drastic measures since last year’s anti-tourism protests, a Barcelona tourism tax increase, and a potential tax hike in the Balearic Islands had not deterred travelers. In fact, Spain welcomed an estimated 94 million visitors in 2024—roughly 10 percent more than in 2023.
The misconception was promptly clarified through international media sources and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ unchanged entry requirements page. Despite the brevity of the situation, the incident shines a light on the delicate dance between mounting concerns regarding overtourism’s effect on local communities and government assurances that responsible travelers (and their responsibly spent travel dollars) are always welcome in Spain.
Available and affordable housing are among the top overtourism concerns in Spain
In a September 2024 survey of European travelers, Spain was the preferred European destination among nearly 5,000 respondents. In correlation with a forecasted international tourism growth of 4.5 percent by the end of 2025, the Spanish government believes stronger measures will help alleviate mass tourism concerns, with a primary focus on residential housing shortages.
Similar to Barcelona’s July 2024 water gun incident, where a small group of locals vented their frustrations by squirting tourists with toy guns, recent government actions were largely inspired by Spain’s ongoing housing crisis. According to President Sánchez, only 2.5 percent of the country’s properties are reserved for public housing, resulting in, among other measures, the transfer back of more than 3,300 homes and nearly 500 acres of residential land to build affordable rental units.
Barcelona has taken measures to counter overtourism, including a recent tourism tax increase and efforts to curb a rise in vacation rental housing.
Courtesy of Carles Rabada/Unsplash
Around the country, highly visited areas are also taking action against holiday housing issues. In November 2024, Madrid debuted several new short-term housing rules. For example, only city center buildings fully dedicated to tourist properties can provide tourist stays. Barcelona plans to cancel more than 10,000 tourist rental licenses by 2028. Seville has taken a slightly different approach by allowing local authorities to cut water supplies in illegal tourist apartments. In January, Spain’s central government issued a decree requiring all short-term rental properties nationwide to obtain a code to list on rental platforms.
The rise of tourism taxes in Spain
To date, only Catalonia and the Balearic Islands charge visitors a tourism tax to help offset sustainability setbacks related to overtourism, including noise pollution, landmark conservation, overcrowding in touristy areas, and water shortages.
In October 2024, Barcelona (Catalonia’s capital) raised the maximum tourism tax from 3.25 euros (about US$3) to 4 euros (US$4) per person per night. Mayor Jaume Collboni’s city council closed out the year with an approved motion to increase the current maximum levy to 8 euros, legally allowing for higher charges in the future. In the Balearics, president Marga Prohens is also considering upping the islands’ sustainable tourism tax, although it seems unlikely to occur before 2026.
In January, Barcelona officials also raised fees at two popular attractions: Park Güell and the Tibidabo amusement park. The Gaudí-designed park, reportedly the second most visited landmark in the city, increased ticket prices from 10 euros (US$10) to 18 euros (US$19), while Tibidabo’s all-inclusive entrance fees went from 35 euros (US$37) to 39 euros (US$41).
Similarly, to help preserve historical monuments, Seville plans to charge visitors between 3 and 4 euros to access the city’s famous Plaza de España. This initiative, set in motion by local mayor José Luis Sanz, faced backlash since the central government considers the square public property.
Anti-tourism protests took place on Spain’s Canary Islands in 2004, despite the fact that residents acknowledge the vital role tourism plays in the economy.
Photo by Daniel Seßler/Unsplash
In Spain, the numbers don’t lie—tourism is here to stay
Despite incremental increases in both actual and proposed tourism taxes in select destinations, it appears that a few dollars here or there isn’t going to keep the masses away. In 2024, international tourists spent 126 billion euros (US$130 billion) in Spain. Tourism minister Jordi Hereu predicts that spending will reach 36 billion euros ($37.5 billion) in the first trimester of 2025, and visitor numbers will be up 9 percent from the same period the previous year.
Last year, Spain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) also increased by 3.2 percent, due mainly to the tourism sector, awarding the country with one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies.
While government officials in popular Spanish cities hope to achieve the perfect co-living balance for denizens and temporary guests in the future, under-explored areas like La Rioja, Cantabria, and Cáceres offer peaceful escapes year-round.
But in some cases, the message remains mixed. Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands’ most visited places, suffered anti-tourism protests last year despite many locals agreeing that tourism is vital to their economy. Recently, a new movement confirmed this pro-tourism opinion with a crystal-clear slogan: Lanzarote Loves Tourism.
And sometimes, disaster strikes. Valencia launched a new tourism campaign titled, “It’s more than a destination. It’s an attitude.” to help the community recuperate from last October’s devastating flash floods and reactivate the tourist sector. During her first meeting with tourism officials, the newly elected minister of Innovation, Industry, Commerce, and Tourism Marián Cano stated that despite the [challenging] situation the region is still facing, “Our destination is in a position to receive tourists.”
