Nobody Expects the Spanish Contradiction
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In Barcelona, tourists need to look out. The locals are attacking them with water pistols. They're also meting out similar treatment along Spain's beautiful Mediterranean coast, and sometimes follow up spouts of water with flares thrown into popular spots. Some carry placards proclaiming 'Your AirBNB used to be my home!' or just 'Go home!'
Such protests have also hit other overcrowded European destinations, and thankfully haven't been violent. In Spain, they dramatize the contradictions in a remarkable, decade-long recovery from the euro-zone's financial crisis. That rebirth makes it something of a guinea pig for three of the rich world's biggest issues — migration, housing and the energy transition — and in certain respects a counterpoint to the United States. Both countries are dealing with the aftereffects of massive housing bubbles that came to a head almost two decades ago. Both have recovered, but did so with almost totally opposed policies now coming under strain.
Tourism has been central to the Spanish revival. The sector had already developed far beyond its roots offering cheap holidays in the sun for Britons, but last year drew 134 million visitors, 10 million more than in 2023, and nearly treble the 48 million population. The intake was greater than any ever received before the pandemic. Only neighbor France attracted more tourists last year; the US was third.
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