Protests against Holiday makers

I don’t think it is tourists people are complaining about but lack of affordable housing. People in lots of countries cannot afford to rent/buy because of holiday homes. I lived in a village next to the sea a few years ago and the place was desolate during winter. Houses stood empty and locals couldn’t afford to live there. Shops closed for winter as most were geared up for tourists. Communities were hard to keep going as at one stage I think there were 4 permanent residents in a street around the corner. Young people need their communities around them and it is so hard for them to live near family and friends. Yes lots of resorts are clamping down on drunken behaviours and not before time as locals avoid them areas and I don’t blame them as it must be scary.

Back from Ibiza and no sign at all of anger at tourists. Made to feel very welcome by everyone.

mabon1

What annoys me i the second home owners who use their property for abut 4 weeks a year and left empty for the other 48 week, depriving young people to afford a home of their own in the area in which they live. A Person has just purchased nine holiday homes nearby, homes which would have been ideal for first time buyers.

Yes, there’s a lot of that around here, houses just used for a few weeks a year. We have a house we let for holidays but it is in constant use. We have recently decided that in the autumn we are going back (after 3 years) to long term tenants.

What annoys me i the second home owners who use their property for abut 4 weeks a year and left empty for the other 48 week, depriving young people to afford a home of their own in the area in which they live. A Person has just purchased nine holiday homes nearby, homes which would have been ideal for first time buyers.

Some years ago I went on a cheapo holiday to Santorini .
It was great .
On the way back , my son and I were joined by a group of twenty somethings .
They were pleasant to us , but I'll never forget how they laughed about throwing the contents of their bedrooms out of the windows into the hotel swimming pool .

I have a couple of reasons why.

The problem of ' incomers' buying up property and pricing local people out of owning a home was solved on the Island of Jersey many years ago. They have a two price system , a higher price if you were a 'foreigner ' and a lower one if you were a local. Job done !!

The stag party, are the type of scum bags who go abroad and massively disrespect the local community. Is it any wonder that host countries have had enough of all of that. Hope they have time to reflect in a Spanish jail, hope that's a horrible experience for them . I'd like to think after that they get "deported" stamped in their passport precluding them to go abroad in the near future.

Corfu is always very popular with Russians. There were loads of them staying in same hotels as us. They were very rich and gave huge tips.

Tourism really is a double edged sword, isn't it? Great for the local economy and jobs, but it prices the locals out of housing.

And face it, in the last 20-25 years travel is so much more accessible to us all, so numbers have increased dramatically.

I wish they’d spend weeks in a Spanish prison then have their passports suspended for a while

They're probably the same people who go to the beaches and beauty spots in this country and leave all their rubbish behind. Perhaps the Spanish police could do us a favour and lock them up for a nice long time.

I’ve just read a DM report about 8 men arrested on a beach in Spain - a stag group of drunken idiots fighting with locals and police after continuing to throw rubbish in the sea when asked not to.
I wish they’d spend weeks in a Spanish prison then have their passports suspended for a while

If you want a beach type holiday I imagine it is possible to avoid Russians etc. No doubt they will be lounging around their swimming pools. But, if you like to holiday in cities it is different.

I love the south of France and regard the coast as one large city. We go because we like to potter around the old centres and to visit the galleries and museums. The last time we went to Menton (pre covid) we went to the Villa Ephrussi at Cap Ferratt. Along the road leading to the entrance was a line of very expensive cars and the restaurant was full of very expensively dressed people. Mainly Russians who have also bought up many of the beautiful old villas that can be seen on the slopes.

4allweknow

The reports I heard was mainly unruly, inconsiderate tourists but no nationality in particular. A lot of talk about drunken activities. Don't blame any of those objecting, I've seen quite a number of absolutely out of order drunken groups albeit a few years ago. Since stopped visiting any Spanish holiday venue.

We have been going to mainland Spain and the Spanish Islands for decades and never seen any drunken behaviour ever.

That’s because we choose quieter resorts, well away from nightclubs, teen parties, hen weekends etc. considering we go All Inclusive and you can have as much alcohol as you like, I have yet to see a drunk person in a hotel either.

Majorca in particular has always been very popular with Germans and they have their own hotels, tour coaches etc out there. The menus in cafes, bars etc are always in Spanish, then German, then English.

The reports I heard was mainly unruly, inconsiderate tourists but no nationality in particular. A lot of talk about drunken activities. Don't blame any of those objecting, I've seen quite a number of absolutely out of order drunken groups albeit a few years ago. Since stopped visiting any Spanish holiday venue.

I'm reading they are all going to occupy the beach as well as the airport. Pics in the press showed an empty beach with sun loungers charged at £60 a day all piled up unused, so the locals will have plenty of room.
These protests will affect so many industries eg bar workers, all hotel staff, food producers, farmers unable to sell to empty hotels, chefs, airport workers, customs staff, local government who can't collect revenue from empty bankrupt businesses, builders and maintenance workers etc.
They need to re-assess what they are doing

It's a problem in many places, as previous posters have already said. We have used AirBnB ourselves as it suits us, but we do spend a lot of money in the local economy whether it be food shopping, or pubs and restaurants, I do, however, acknowledge that is of little comfort to someone unable to buy a home there. We are off to a Greek island in a couple of weeks, to an apartment in a small complex of 20, purpose built for holiday makers so I don't worry that it is taking housing stock out of the market.

But only some of the locals might benefit.

Tourism is like any other industry. Locals have to accept some downsides if they want the economic benefits.

I’m off to Majorca in two weeks. My friend’s family live there as one of her married AC is in the tourism industry.

The protests are about lack of property for locals due to Air B n B’s. However, there have been large demos and there’s one reportedly being organised that is going to close the airport. I hope it’s not when I land or fly out.

There was a poll to vote online on one of the newspapers if you would now go to Majorca after the protests. The result was 89% said No this morning.

Went to Majorca with DGC at Easter, no problems or signs of anti tourism,

A lot of these countries wouldn't survive without tourism - they have a short memory of how they suffered during Covid

Why people do not turn their auto correct off on their computers and mobile phones totally baffles me.

Obviously in Edinburgh its a huge problem. The centre of town is virtually a no go area especially during the dreaded festival and winter festivals. The Air BnBs have consumed so many potential family homes that staff for central shops and businesses have to live further and further out with resultant travel costs etc. That's before the tourists pack the buses and slow them down with incessant questions for the poor drivers. Dont get me started on the state of street rubbish too. Can you tell how exasperated I am?!
However, we've just been given the go ahead to levy a visitor tax per night's stay. This will only be about £2 but will be a useful contribution as long as it goes to city infrastructure not more tourist business.
As to the income we all apparently gain from tourists- most hotel chains belong to international conglomerates and the profits go back to them. Various short term hourly paid jobs are created. Meanwhile the average resident gains nothing but frustration from our tourist influx.