Tourists are being warned of ‘water pistol protests’ across Spain and Europe this weekend.
The demonstrations are set to target holidaymakers in major destinations including Barcelona, Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, San Sebastian, Granada, Tenerife and Malaga.
Other European destinations involved in the action include Venice in Italy and Lisbon in Portugal.
The action is designed to ‘call attention to the social and environmental costs of overtourism.’
The protests have been organised by the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification (SET), and are supported by local activist groups.
In Barcelona, activists will gather at the Jardinets de Gracia at 12pm on Sunday, before spraying tourists with water near the Sagrada Familia, the Gothic Quarter and at cruise ports.
In Mallorca, the water pistols will be fired at visitors in and around the Parc de la Mar, with roughly 60 local groups expected to take part.
In San Sebastian, Granada, Malaga, Tenerife, Lisbon, and Venice, there will be protests held at various plazas, bus stops, and airports.
Why are locals protesting?
Many locals living in tourist hotspots in Spain believe the industry’s model has become too excessive.
They say the numbers of visitors continue to increase year by year, creating an increasing demand on local resources.
They also complain that the overwhelming amount of tourist activity is causing environmental pollution, particularly in Tenerife, where natural landscapes are not being properly protected by local authorities, while a surge in pleasure boats and sewage waste are polluting the marine environment.
More importantly, the explosion of Airbnb-style properties has seen property prices surge over the past five to 10 years.
In holiday hotspots, landlords are choosing to rent to tourists instead of selling or renting to local families.
This is stripping housing supply and making the available stock far more expensive and out of reach for a growing number of locals.
