Andalucia has launched a new tourism campaign unlike any before.
Instead of trying to attract more visitors, its goal seems to be to calm tensions between holidaymakers and local residents.
While Spain hasn’t yet seen a Japan-level pushback, record numbers are beginning to spark discomfort, from rising housing pressure to overcrowded public spaces.
This year has seen a wave of anti-tourism protests, particularly in Mallorca and Barcelona, where holidaymakers were sprayed with water pistols.
There have also been growing movements in Andalucia, in particular in Malaga and in Sevilla, including activist groups like Guiris Go Home and Sevilla Se Muere.
The Junta de Andalucia, it seems, has decided to address the issue head on with its new campaign, called ‘El Trato Andaluz’ (The Andalucian Deal).
It was unveiled this week by regional tourism chief Arturo Bernal, and focuses on behaviour and coexistence.
Bernal described it as a ‘contract of coexistence between the Andalucian and the visitor’, a set of expectations designed to ease friction and preserve what he calls ‘the essence’ of the region.
At the heart of the campaign is a two-minute video encouraging visitors to buy local, explore beyond the big cities, respect quiet hours and share public spaces – beaches included – with the same courtesy they expect at home.
One of the eight principles even asks tourists to use water responsibly, a nod to the region’s recurring drought concerns.
The move comes as Spain edges toward becoming the most visited country in the world. Such success puts pressure on transport networks, overstretched public services and, above all, a surge in holiday rentals eating into housing supply.
Andalucía’s own 2023 report warned that too many ‘disruptive visitors’ can damage neighbourhood life through noise, litter and tension with residents.
It also cautioned that excessive crowds can degrade the quality of the destination itself.
In recent months, cities such as Malaga, Sevilla, Palma, San Sebastián and Barcelona have all seen demonstrations against mass tourism. And while these protests vary in scale, they reflect a wider anxiety about affordability, overcrowding and the future of urban life.
From January to October, however, international visitors spent more than €118 billion in Spain, representing a record figure.
Andalucia alone welcomed 12.9 million foreign tourists, who contributed around €18 billion in spending.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
