Anti-tourism activists in Spain have told Brits to ‘please practice balconing’ in a fresh piece of offensive graffiti ahead of the high season.
The message was emblazoned on a wall in Valencia this week, below a stick figure of a man falling off a balcony.
It comes just weeks after activists in Malaga began supergluing the lockboxes of tourist apartments, and after nationwide ‘anti-Airbnb’ protests on April 5.
The drawing in Valencia references the ‘trend’ of mostly British holidaymakers jumping between hotel balconies, particularly in Mallorca. It has caused multiple deaths.
The message alongside the drawing reads in English: ‘Tourists go home… and please practice balconing…
‘This is not tourism-phobia, this is class war!’
The photo taken near Guillem de Castro in Valencia city and was shared by activist Instagram page @lamataobras.
The caption reads: ‘Empty neighbourhood but a city full of tourists. A giant resource paid for with your taxes and they kick you out.’
The post also shared photos of hotels being built in the neighbourhood, where one local has stuck a sign on their terrace claiming the areas is ‘at risk of extinction’, adding: ‘They are expelling us.’
It comes as tensions are mounting in major cities and tourist resorts around Spain due to housing pressures.
Hundreds of thousands of locals protested in more than 40 cities on April 5 to demand an end to what they call the ‘housing racket’.
They say they are fed-up of Airbnb-style properties ‘taking over’ historic neighbourhoods and city centres.
Tourist apartments have grown at break-neck speed nationwide over the past few years, thanks to their high-earning potential.
But they are reducing the number of long-term rentals, forcing families to move further and further outside of city centres.
Meanwhile, thousands of once iconic cafes, restaurants and bars have been converted into Airbnbs because the owners see them as far more profitable.
This, locals say, is stripping historical centres of their identity and creates ‘ghost towns’ in the off season when they are not fully booked by tourists.
