For generations Spaniards have cherished the consolation that whatever the state of their country’s politics, “en España se vive muy bien” — one lives very well in Spain.
But now a key tenet of the truism is under threat. Although the country of sun, sea and sangria is attracting record numbers of tourists, increasingly its citizens cannot afford to go on holiday there.
An annual summer stay on the playa is considered almost a constitutional right but the tradition is fast becoming an unattainable luxury as the tourism sector’s post-pandemic boom pushes the costs of travel, accommodation and meals to unprecedented levels.
No vamos a la playa: the future of Spanish beach holidays is shifting
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“We used to pay about €1,200 for an apartment for 15 days. Now a week costs that much or even double,” said Carlos Moreno, 63, a portero, or doorman, in a Madrid residential building. He and his wife, Carmen, used to go to the Valencia coast but this year they are staying in the capital. “We can’t afford a hotel and we don’t fancy camping.”
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As prices rise, Spaniards are increasingly choosing to holiday abroad, where costs are comparatively lower. Alex Villeyra, operations director at the tourism data company Mabrian, said: “The accumulated increase in prices over the last five years in Spain’s main holiday destinations is significant. They’ve risen faster than in other countries, which is triggering an effect where international tourists are flocking to Spain while Spanish nationals are heading out to cheaper destinations abroad.”
Last year Spain hosted 94 million international tourists and is on course to overtake France, which welcomed 100 million, as the world’s most visited country. Domestic tourism, however, is on the decline. “Last year, Spaniards reduced their domestic travel by 0.8 per cent, while increasing their international trips by 12 per cent,” Villeyra said.
Tourists descend on Soller, Mallorca
ALAMY
More than a third of Spaniards cannot afford a holiday that lasts a week or more, according to the latest data from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics. Luz Lorenzo, a 38-year-old hotel housekeeper in Benidorm, said: “The last time I went on a summer trip was eight years ago, to Greece. Since then, I just spend my free days at home or, at most, in Benidorm, where I work.”
Lorenzo, who earns just above Spain’s minimum wage of €1,184 a month, told El País: “With rent, bills, and the exorbitant cost of food, there’s just no way to save for a holiday. It’s impossible.”
Hotels have increased in price by more than 50 per cent since 2021. Flats and rural houses are up by 37 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. Even campgrounds have risen in price by 11 per cent.
The average expenditure per person on travel has increased by 42.7 per cent since 2021, even though the average duration of holiday has remained static at about a week. The price of domestic flights rose by 8.8 per cent from January to April. The cost of dining out has increased by more than 21 per cent in the past four years — an increase that outpaces the general inflation rate.
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The increase in tourism prices, coupled with overcrowded destinations and the lack of affordable housing, has led to what some have termed “tourism phobia”. There have been anti-tourism protests in regions such as the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, where in some areas short-term rentals represent half of all housing and have driven up property prices.
Anti-tourist graffiti in Barcelona and, below, a demonstrator confronts visitors to Palma de Mallorca last month
JORDI BOIXAREU/ALAMY
As the price of holidays in Spain continues to climb, analysts question if the country’s tourism sector has hit a ceiling. The latest report from BBVA Research warns of a slowdown in tourism, particularly in Barcelona, where fewer tourists are arriving and they are spending less since the beginning of the year. Analysts say there are signs of “exhaustion” among tourists and note the increase in prices that could discourage visits to the city.
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If the trend continues, the future of Spanish holidays may be marked not by packed, sun-drenched beaches but by increasingly empty domestic resorts. Residents in the Mallorcan town of Soller complained last year of over-tourism, particularly traffic jams and a lack of parking. This week the Diario de Mallorca reported that its restaurants are empty and tourist numbers are down.
“We’ve gone from having no employees to having too many,” a restaurant owner from the area said. Catalina Marroig, the manager of the Campo Sol restaurant on Can Repic beach, acknowledged that some tourist businesses had raised prices too much.
She added that anti-tourism campaigns were counter-productive. “The problem is that they have turned sacred places for Mallorcans into a circus, hence the discontent,” she said. “But this is not resolved by driving away tourists but by better managing the business model.”