![\"Crowded](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/6f5411a8-f4c3-416f-afa9-364c9ad769bc.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFor generations Spaniards have cherished the consolation that whatever the state of their country\u2019s politics, \u201cen Espa\u00f1a se vive muy bien\u201d \u2014 one lives very well in Spain.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s post-pandemic boom pushes the costs of travel, accommodation and meals to unprecedented levels. <\/p>\n
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No vamos a la playa: the future of Spanish beach holidays is shifting<\/p>\n
GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used to pay about \u20ac1,200 for an apartment for 15 days. Now a week costs that much or even double,\u201d 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. \u201cWe can\u2019t afford a hotel and we don\u2019t fancy camping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 25 of the best beaches in Spain<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n 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: \u201cThe accumulated increase in prices over the last five years in Spain\u2019s main holiday destinations is significant. They\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Last year Spain hosted 94 million international tourists and is on course to overtake France, which welcomed 100 million, as the world\u2019s most visited country. Domestic tourism, however, is on the decline. \u201cLast year, Spaniards reduced their domestic travel by 0.8 per cent, while increasing their international trips by 12 per cent,\u201d Villeyra said. <\/p>\n Tourists descend on Soller, Mallorca<\/p>\n ALAMY<\/p>\n More than a third of Spaniards cannot afford a holiday that lasts a week or more, according to the latest data from Spain\u2019s National Institute of Statistics. Luz Lorenzo, a 38-year-old hotel housekeeper in Benidorm, said: \u201cThe 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.\u201d <\/p>\n Lorenzo, who earns just above Spain\u2019s minimum wage of \u20ac1,184 a month, told El Pa\u00eds: \u201cWith rent, bills, and the exorbitant cost of food, there\u2019s just no way to save for a holiday. It\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 an increase that outpaces the general inflation rate. <\/p>\n \u2022 Rip-off America? From car rentals to coffee, inflation is rampant<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n The increase in tourism prices, coupled with overcrowded destinations and the lack of affordable housing, has led to what some have termed \u201ctourism phobia\u201d. 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.<\/p>\n Anti-tourist graffiti in Barcelona and, below, a demonstrator confronts visitors to Palma de Mallorca last month<\/p>\n JORDI BOIXAREU\/ALAMY<\/p>\n As the price of holidays in Spain continues to climb, analysts question if the country\u2019s 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 \u201cexhaustion\u201d among tourists and note the increase in prices that could discourage visits to the city.<\/p>\n![\"Tourists](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/a3a459a3-5228-4d72-81c4-484df1a0ffe5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Anti-tourism](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/3e565f44-1cbf-477e-bc0c-c2e273d36dd1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Protestor](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/4bde0609-f715-4b70-8760-e0aac9136c4e.jpg\")
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