Spain's Beach Battle: Locals vs. Tourists as Overtourism Surges

As the summer travel season hits its peak, a fierce battle for beachfront bliss is unfolding across Europe, particularly in Spain, where overtourism is no longer just a buzzword but a full-blown crisis. Locals are being squeezed out of their own coastal paradises as foreign visitors flood in, driving up prices and sparking tensions.

Spain has seen a staggering rise in international tourists—1.94 million more than last year—while domestic tourism has plummeted by 800,000, leaving many Spaniards feeling like strangers in their own hometowns. Wendy Davila, a local, reminisced about carefree childhood holidays in Alicante, lamenting to reporters, 'Now you don’t vacation where you want, but where you can.' With prices along the Spanish coast skyrocketing, she’s not alone in her frustration.

The numbers tell a grim story for locals. Beachfront rentals, often booked solid by the first quarter, have seen a 20.3% price surge since mid-2023, according to price monitoring firm Tecnitasa. Jose Maria Basanez, group president of Tecnitasa, noted that affording a beach holiday is becoming an uphill battle for many Spaniards. Meanwhile, Spain welcomed 94 million international travelers in 2024, a figure that’s both a boon for the economy and a burden for residents.

In cities like Barcelona and Mallorca, frustration has boiled over into action. Protesters have taken to the streets, some even wielding water guns to 'cool down' overtourism, while claiming that soaring rents are making their lives unlivable. The displacement effect is real—Spaniards are making 400,000 fewer trips to major cities, while foreign tourist visits have spiked by nearly 3 million. Juan Pedro Aznar, a researcher at Esade business school in Madrid, described the overwhelming influx in Cadiz, where cruise ships double the population overnight.

Barcelona’s response? A bold plan to ban short-term tourist apartment rentals by 2028, though the number of such rentals has hovered around 10,000 since 2014. It’s a step, but whether it will reclaim the city for its residents remains to be seen. For now, the summer sun shines on a divided coastline, where the dream of a beach getaway feels more like a privilege than a right.