Nigel Pope, 63, has been living in Benidorm for seven years and has become the town’s ‘unofficial king’ – but his reign could be in jeopardy due to the housing crisis
The self-proclaimed ‘King of Benidorm’ has thrown his weight behind Spain’s reported plans for a ‘three-year tourist ban’ amid concerns that he, and others, may be priced out of their homes. Nigel Pope, 63, a Cornwall native who relocated to the Costa Blanca resort town seven years ago, has grown to love his adopted home and become somewhat of a local celebrity.
After his divorce, Nigel started anew, making a name for himself as a bartender and digital tour guide, racking up a whopping 70,000 followers on TikTok and earning his unofficial ‘royal’ status. Many fellow Brits make the 900-mile journey to visit the honorary local, but Nigel’s position is now under threat due to Spain’s worsening housing crisis, which has been exacerbated by mass tourism driving up rents for locals.
In a surprising move, the ‘King’ has come out in support of the proposed ‘tourist ban’, which he believes has been misinterpreted. “Spain’s alleged ‘tourist ban’ is not what it seems,” he explained.
“It will effectively help stop the local places from pricing themselves out of the locals market, which has been a growing problem.”
In his view, the proposal would be a positive step, helping to keep rents affordable for locals who earn lower wages compared to other parts of Europe. The city of Malaga has already implemented such measures, with the local council and Costa del Sol authorities introducing regulations to limit new rental properties in 43 neighbourhoods, reports the Daily Star.
While it’s not exactly a ‘ban’, the new measures could make it trickier for tourists to snag short-term holiday lets. Seville is tipped to join the crackdown, mirroring Madrid and Barcelona’s efforts to rein in short-term rentals.
Over in Alicante, authorities have already slapped a two-year freeze on fresh licences for these holiday digs since January’s start. But Benidorm’s council has yet to drop any bombshells about following suit.
Local lad ‘King’ Nigel, who’s been feeling the pinch with sky-high rents, is all for Benidorm getting on board. He spilled the beans: “It has started to be a problem in Benidorm for people like myself who have to try to renew our existing rental contracts, so for me personally it is a good proposal and does start to tackle the problem.”
Still, Nigel’s fretting over whether he’ll be able to foot the bill for his pad when renewal time rolls around later this year.
Chipping into the debate, Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez blasted the tax disparity, saying: “It isn’t fair that those who have three, four or five apartments as short-term rentals pay less tax than hotels or workers.”
Nigel, who shares his home with his ‘queen’ Nancy, whom he met seven years back when he first jetted off abroad, is quite the name on the strip. Yet, with living costs on the up, their regal status is hanging by a thread.
Are the Spanish government’s fresh initiatives enough to rescue Benidorm’s ‘King’ and his devoted followers, or is the clock ticking too fast for royalty?
Nigel wrapped up with a note of cautious optimism, saying: “I am hoping to renew my 10 year contract later in the year. I want to stay where I am, but we have been a little concerned by how much our rent will rise..”
