Following furious anti-tourism protests across Spain over the last year, the country is introducing strict new rules to control the hordes of tourists who visit the holiday hotspot this summer
There will be new restrictions on holiday rental properties and pub crawls as Spain tries to curb the effect tourism is having on its residents.
Holidaymakers hoping to enjoy a break in Spain this year will see themselves facing much harsher rules in some of the most popular tourist destinations. The new targeted regulations may also mean a trip your favourite Mediterranean resort costs a lot more than it has previously.
Angry marches and protests took place against overtourism during the last year as the country continues to experience a rise in visitor numbers. A massive 11.7 million tourists descended on Barcelona city in 2024. The cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region is a favourite for Brits on stag and hen dos but there is expected to be a ban coming into force at the beginning of June on pub crawls to try and reduce antisocial behaviour in the district.
A mayoral decree, which ‘completely restricts’ organised routes for the purpose of alcohol consumption between public establishments in the district, will be in place from 7pm – 7am. Advertising pub crawls could lead to a €900 fine for promoters or organisers.
The city will also ban the letting of short-term tourist apartments from 2028. The move is in response to overcrowding and concerns from locals over the rise in property and rental prices. Other places to adopt similar rules are Malaga and Mallorca.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said: “The government’s duty is to prioritise residential use of housing and prevent speculative and touristic uses from expanding in a totally uncontrolled manner at the cost of residents.” Following a record 18 million visitors to the hugely popular Balearic islands in 2024, officials said they had reached their limit. As even more holidaymakers are expected this year, plans to control and contain tourism are being brought in before the season kicks off.
In October Balearic President Marga Prohens revealed there would be new measures and called the help of opposition parties for their support. “We are aware of the need to adopt measures before the next season to deal with episodes of tourist overcrowding,” she said. “Yes, the time has come to take decisions, and for this reason, I can announce that next February the Balearic government will approve a decree law on urgent measures to tackle tourist congestion with measures that have the consensus of all.”
The new regulations are expected to include a tax on overnight stays and enhanced police authority to crack down on illegal holiday lets. Officials are mulling over options such as limiting airport arrivals or slapping additional taxes on certain hotspots or activities. This is aimed at diverting the hordes of tourists flocking to popular destinations.
These enhanced regulations follow a Spanish law introduced last year which means that anyone registering for a hotel stay or car hire will need to provide extra personal information than was previously required. Tenerife has already limited the number of visitors permitted to enter its national parks and Mallorca has capped the number of cruise ships allowed at its port. Seville will now charge anyone entering the city’s popular Plaza de España square.