Stag party bookings to EU hotspots including Tenerife and Barcelona have plummeted this year, following a series of anti-tourist protests across Spain, according to new data from TheStagCompany
Brits are snubbing the party-mad island of Tenerife amid escalating anti-tourist sentiment. Last year, a staggering 15.5 million holidaymakers flocked to the Canary Islands, clearly unfazed by swathes of fed-up locals urging them to ‘go home’.
However, in recent months – protests against over-tourism appear to have taken a violent turn, with a shocking sign threatening to ‘kill a tourist’ being spotted in Tenerife. Reports also emerged this month, claiming activists had set fire to several rental cars, often used by holidaymakers to travel around the island, to make their message clear.
TheStagCompany, a leader provider of UK and EU stag do experiences, says while Spain has long been a firm favourite for grooms-to-be and their pals – there’s been an ’emerging shift in customer preferences. In fact, stag bookings for Tenerife are down by a staggering 51 per cent compared to last year.
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Stag bookings in Barcelona have also slumped by a whopping 43 per cent. However, the Spanish hotspot of Benidorm has managed to keep its popularity, and has actually witnessed a 12 per cent spike in stag party bookings this year.
In a statement sent to the Mirror, TheStagCompany’s CEO Rob Hill said he’d noticed a ‘particular rise’ in stag groups opting for European cities including Brussels (+104 per cent), Hamburg, and Cologne (+88 per cent) – where there is ‘no backlash against tourism’. “The UK itself has also seen an increase in domestic stag weekends, with cities like Manchester and Edinburgh benefiting from a shift in habits,” he added.
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The expert argued that while he ‘respects’ concern being raised about unsociable behaviour in hotspots like Tenerife, tourism is still an ‘essential part’ of many EU economies. “We also believe there’s a way forward that works for both British travellers and locals alike,” he said. “Our mission remains the same, to provide unbelievably fun, responsibly planned stag weekends in locations that welcome tourism and benefit from it.”
Despite many residents having a negative opinion of Brit tourists, Michelle Davison, an independent travel agent, says most of the protests are aimed at local government policies and not tourists. For example, next month (April 5) several Tenants’ Unions will ‘take to the streets’ to demand rent prices in popular hotspots are slashed by 50 per cent to make housing more accessible to ‘the working class’, a move mainly motivated by landlord greed as opposed to sun-worshipping Brits.
Has Tenerife’s anti-tourist protest put you off from visiting? Email liam.gilliver@reachplc.com for a chance to be featured
