A Spanish ‘anti-expat’ activist has issued some advice for people visiting Spain this summer amid mounting tensions in the country’s busiest tourist hotspots.
Carlos Ramirez has amassed more than 50,000 followers on Instagram, where he regularly blasts expats who he says move to Spain and price locals out of their neighbourhoods.
His main beef is with a certain type of expat, mainly those who work for foreign multi-nationals and are therefore earning staggeringly more than the average person in their chosen barrio.
He says it is unfair that they have so much disposable income, exacerbated by the fact that they can take advantage of the so-called Beckham Law which means they pay much less tax.
The ‘Beckham Law’ allows qualifying foreign professionals relocating to Spain to pay a flat income tax rate of 24% on earnings up to €600,000 for their first six years, rather than the progressive rates that can exceed 45%.
It has seen scores of people move to cities like Malaga and Barcelona (the latter where Ramirez is based), and snap up pricey rental homes and even buy houses and apartments.
Sellers are able to put prices up as they know there are more people who can afford it, but this in turn prices out many locals.
In an interview with local Instagram platform Somosklab, Ramirez said travelling is ‘great to do because the world is beautiful and we all want to see it.’
However, he said there is a way to travel to be ‘respectful’ of the place you are visiting.
‘So, to travel conscientiously, and in a respectful way, first of all, don’t get a tourist apartment.
‘Don’t reserve anything in platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com, who also push tourist flats, because this makes it so that homes are not for living in, but rather are destined for speculation and to make money from tourism.’
He added: ‘Respect the community, you are going as a spectator, you are the supporting actor, you’re not the main character.
‘For example this summer I’m going to China, it would make me really sad if I go to china and pass so many hours in a plane only to arrive and have a Starbucks, a brunch place and some Argentinian empanadas… can you imagine?
‘It’s that all cities are becoming the same now, what is the fun in travelling then? What is the fun in globalisation? Enough already!’
