Holidays may look different in Spain this year as the country introduces widespread measures to crack down on visitor numbers. Some areas will introduce tourist taxes while other cities will drastically reduce the number of holiday lets in a bid to manage tourism and make it more sustainable for the country and its residents.
The changes come after a year of protests throughout the country where residents demanded a clampdown on visitor numbers, with some associations even warning tourists to "stay home" through an open letter. Holiday lets are a huge point of contention in Spain - protest groups highlighted a lack of housing for locals, who they said are being driven out to the suburbs as prices rise, removing the sense of community. Others complained that infrastructure has been built solely to serve tourists' needs, while some said the influx of tourists damages the environment.
An array of new measures have been introduced, and British tourists may notice a difference this year when visiting.
As of April 2025, property owners must get the approval of 60 percent of the local community to rent their home as a short-term holiday let, under an amendment to Spain’s Horizontal Property Act, which extends to the Canary Islands.
If wishes go ignored, neighbours can demand that operations are halted. However, various regions across Spain have their own policies.
In Alicante, a two-year ban on new holiday lets came into effect in January, and holiday homes that do not comply with regulations will be shut down - 3,292 homes are thought to be unlicensed.
Barcelona, Spain’s most popular destination for international tourists, aims to completely ban all the estimated 10,000 holiday apartments by 2029.
Madrid banned new licenses for holiday lets, which was set to last until 2025, but it has now been extended and tourist apartments are completely banned from all residential buildings in the historic centre.
In Malaga, there will be a three-year ban on new licenses for tourist apartments across 43 districts in the most popular areas, which is expected to be extended.
In October 2024, Seville announced that no more than 10 percent of properties in the city's 108 neighbourhoods could be tourist apartments.
San Sebastian announced plans to ban new hotels and holiday apartments in 2023.
The Balearic Islands have introduced an eco-tax, which depends on accommodation, and cruise passengers will have to pay 200 percent more tax than previous years.
Barcelona has doubled its tourist tax.
In Malaga, visitors were threatened with a €750 fine for behaviour such as littering, and not wearing enough clothes.
In a crackdown on binge drinking, Ibiza and Majorca banned the consumption of alcohol in public spaces, and shops are not allowed to sell it overnight between 9.30pm and 8am.
Gran Canaria introduced public area restrictions, and serious breaches could warrant a fine up to €3,000. It banned smoking, vaping, playing loud music, barbecuing, shell and rock collecting, blocking access to paths and engaging in sexual activity.
