Bars, beaches and restaurants have been seen virtually empty
10:33, 05 Aug 2025Updated 10:34, 05 Aug 2025
A picture of an empty beach in Benidorm(Image: BJD/Solarpix)
Spain has seen a noticeable drop in tourists, leaving restaurants and beaches looking deserted.
For the first time since the pandemic, and following years of anti-tourist protests by locals, parts of the country are experiencing a downturn in visitor numbers.
Images from Benidorm show rows of empty chairs outside various bars and eateries, with beaches unusually quiet in recent days – a sight that’s rare for such a popular tourist hotspot at this time of year. Harry Poulton, 24, who relocated to Benidorm after a lads’ holiday at 18, said the current atmosphere on the Costa Del Sol is “like a ghost town”.
On TikTok, Harry remarked: “Benidorm is a ghost town…in July? ! I’ve never seen it this quiet. Where is everyone? !”.
He filmed himself standing on the main strip, noting: “It’s the middle of July, look behind me, it’s dead. I’m on the Benidorm strip, there’s barely any people, this is crazy. I cannot believe it, this is the quietest I’ve ever seen Benidorm,” he continued.
A holidaymaker currently in Benidorm added: “Currently in Benners. Our first trip here and I was expecting carnage. It’s full of families.”
Another added: “In Benny now, it’s packed with families instead of stags and hens.”
A Benidorm bar abandoned by tourists(Image: BJD/Solarpix)
In Costa Blanca, the use of holiday rentals saw a 2.2% decline in the first half of the year, and according to the local paper Sur, this figure has now plummeted to 57%, reports the Express. The downturn in tourism is believed to be due to soaring prices, protests against overtourism, and shifts in travel habits.
Residents in Majorca report that some resorts are “completely dead”, with officials suggesting that the protests against overtourism are “scaring away visitors”.
Miguel Pérez-Marsá, the head of the nightlife association, told the Majorca Daily Bulletin: “The tourists we’re interested in are being driven away; they don’t feel welcome and are going to other destinations.”
He said that the situation has deteriorated to the point where staff who would normally be working throughout the summer are now being offered holidays.
Tour guides are also experiencing financial difficulties. Pedro Oliver, president of the College of Tour Guides, said that there’s been a 20% decrease in excursion sales this summer.
He warned: “If you generate negative news, which has repercussions in other countries, tourists opt for other destinations when choosing their holidays,” adding, “We are sending the message that we don’t want tourists and that everything is too crowded.”
Empty restaurant in Benidorm(Image: BJD/Solarpix)
But not all are upset over the drop in tourism. One person said: “Very good news, let’s see if we stop depending on tourism and the business fabric returns to Spain.
“Tourism should be regulated somehow, and see if the real estate bubble explodes because of that, and people here can buy a house again like it used to be.”
Another one wrote: “The news is painted as bad, but the reality is that it’s good. Tourism is fine, but the mass of tourists coming to Malaga was more than the city could handle. I’d rather take care of 10 tourists well than 100 badly.”
The soaring cost of housing, which has risen by 68% in Barcelona over the past decade, is one of the movement’s primary concerns, along with the impact of tourism on local trade and working conditions.