How Spain’s fragile economy would face disaster without the BILLIONS Brits bring in each year… so shouldn’t anti-tourism protesters be careful what they wish for?
Holidaymakers in Spain’s tourist hotspots have found themselves the targets of protests, threatening graffiti and new laws
SPAIN’s economy would take a battering if Brit tourists were to stop coming to the country, figures show – after locals in Mallorca and Ibiza branded visitors “terrorists”.
Holidaymakers in some of Spain’s tourist hotspots have witnessed a recent backlash, finding themselves the targets of protests, threatening graffiti and new laws - with some Brits now deciding to leave Majorca vowing never to return.
The Balearic Islands government is set to roll out legislation limiting the number of tourist beds to 623,624 and have pledged to cut the figure to just 500,000 over the next few years.
And messages scrawled on walls in English in resorts like Palma and Magaluf have told visitors they are “not welcome” and urged them to “go home”.
But with the billions of pounds holidaymakers from the UK bring in to the country every year, anti-tourist whingers should be careful what they wish for.
Alexander Goransson, lead analyst and tourism specialist at Euromonitor, said Brits are the largest contributor to the Spanish tourist sector.
He told Sun Online: “Tourism expenditure to Spain stood at 55billion euros (£50billion) in 2016.
“Some 14billion euros (£12.7billion) of that came from the UK – that’s 26 per cent.
“So we are actually the biggest contributor to the Spanish tourist economy.”
Last year, a record 75million holidaymakers visited the country – nearly 17million of them British.
The tourism industry, in turn, is becoming increasingly important in propping up the rocky Spanish economy, which was among the worst hit in Europe during the recession.
Spain is the world’s third most visited country, and the sector makes up a colossal 14.2 per cent of its GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – with that percentage predicted to continue rising over the coming years.
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Spain’s growing reliance on tourism makes its overall economy increasingly vulnerable to a drop in footfall – especially from its biggest customers.
Alexander said: “If the UK numbers declined by 20 per cent, the overall tourist numbers would drop by five per cent.
“And if British people ceased to go altogether, there would be a 20-25 per cent drop in total tourist activity – which for any business would be a big blow.”
For now though, the number of Brit tourists is not just remaining steady but is actually rising.
The analyst revealed: “Interestingly, the UK in the first half of this year is the fastest growing inbound market – that’s people arriving in Spain between January and June 2017.”
But business owners across the country will be wringing their hands at the bad publicity from the anti-tourist backlash.
Politicians have been quick to condemn protesters – who have gathered outside hotels and vandalised tourist buildings and vehicles – amid fears holidaymakers are being scared off.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the left-wing activists “crazy extremists”.
And Rafael Gallego, chair of the Spanish Association of Travel Agents (Feaav), branded the protesters “fascists” and said their actions could get worse.
He said: “This tourismphobia has been worrying us since last summer.
“In 2016 we noted graffiti and there was an aggression with a glass against tourists who were on an excursion, so we alerted that the situation could radicalise, which is what we have seen.
“Now there are protests in the entrances of hotels, restaurants and in ports.
“They call themselves left-wing but they are more fascist than the far right. We are very worried that they might cause a serious incident with our visitors at any day.”
Protesters have complained of being priced out of their own cities, as well as the drunken antics of some visitors.
But Mr Gallego defended the tourist industry, saying: “It is the sector which has recovered the greatest numbers of jobs since the crisis.”
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