Tourism12.08.2024 - 14:29

UNESCO says mass protests against tourists in Europe won't end soon

For several weeks, mass protests against foreign vacationers in Spain have not subsided. If the causes of discontent are not eliminated, the rallies may go beyond Spain.

Фото: AFP

Peter De Breen, a UNESCO senior fellow for sustainable tourism, said that Spain may not be the only country where citizens are taking to the streets en masse to protest against the influx of foreign tourists.

For weeks now, Spaniards have been rallying in the country's resort areas and demanding vacationers go home. At the moment, the protests have covered Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Gran Canaria and a number of other cities. The reason is the sharp rise in the cost of living in the resorts, as businesses have jacked up prices for rent and various services.

De Brin believes that the situation will not improve in the near future, and even vice versa, may take over other countries, if the problem is not addressed at the highest level. In Spain, some vacationers have already refused to vacation at the usual resorts.

Russians have also faced speculative price gouging at resorts. In Anapa, train tickets were recently sold for 73,000 rubles.

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