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TOURISM

Granada and Mallorca pile more pressure on Spain’s mass tourism problem

Spain's anti-tourism protests continued over the weekend with locals in Granada and Mallorca taking to the streets to highlight the negative impact on rental markets and local environments.

Published: 17 June 2024 13:50 CEST
Granada and Mallorca pile more pressure on Spain's mass tourism problem
Tourists look at the Alhambra from the Mirador de San Nicolás in Granada. Photo: JORGE GUERRERO/AFP.

Spain’s growing anti-tourism movement continued over the weekend, with demonstrations in Mallorca and Granada protesting the impact of mass tourism on locals.

This comes amid recent protests in Barcelona, the Canary Islands, and Madrid, among many other Spanish cities. In several parts of the country local governments have brought in limits on tourist rentals, something many feel inflates the rental market and prices locals out of their own neighbourhoods.

READ ALSO: ‘It kills the city’: Barcelona’s youth protest against mass tourism

On Sunday Mallorca residents took to the Caló des Moro beach to protest over-tourism in the area. The demonstration, organised by the Mallorca Platja Tour movement, saw more than 300 people occupy the idyllic cove that locals claim is becoming more difficult to enjoy due to growing numbers of tourists.

Protestors had two large banners stating “Let’s occupy our beaches” and “It’s time to stop.” Caló des Moro was chosen as a symbol of an area where residents say they can’t go as it’s becoming so oversaturated with visitors, and the protest began at 8.00 a.m to anticipate the arrival of thousands of tourists who come every weekend.

For many locals, mass-tourism also presents an ecological danger with an “extreme situation” they feel the Balearic government is doing little to tackle. The town council of Santanyí, where the cove is, favours regulating the influx of tourists, and points out that the huge number of people on the beaches means that 50 kilos of sand are lost every day.

4,000 tourists visit the beach every day during the summer season, according to the local council.

Mass protests against overtourism also took place across the Balearic Islands on May 26th, showcasing locals’ intentions to continue protesting until something changes.

READ ALSO: ‘Beach closed’: Fake signs put up in Spain’s Mallorca to dissuade tourists

Down in southern Spain, hundreds of people also demonstrated in the Albaicín neighbourhood of Granada over the weekend, principally against tourist overcrowding in the area that complicates the day-to-day life of locals and drives up rents.

Locals complain that the famously narrow streets of Albaicín are now always packed with people, mostly tourists. “They don’t let people through, many groups come to see it,” one woman said, referring to the picturesque neighbourhood in the shadow of the Alhambra.

As many as 200 people gathered at the Mirador de San Nicolás viewing point, a popular spot for tourists in Granada due to its views of the Alhambra, under the slogan “Our neighbourhood is not a theme park, for a liveable Albaicín.”

Demonstrators also held up banners criticising the behaviour of tourists, such as “don’t take pictures of me, I’m not your postcard” and “more residents, less clients” among others.

READ ALSO: Valencia to stop issuing licences to Airbnb-style lets as rents soar past €1,000

As is the case across Spain, locals in Granada also feel that the increasing number of short-term tourist rentals in the area is causing rental prices to increase.

“It’s an uncontrolled phenomenon,” locals said, something they say has led to a decrease in the number of local people living in Albaicín.

Local resident Sergio Ayuso said “the neighbourhood has been filled with tourist accommodation. This is a blessing for the tourist agents but for the neighbourhood… it is our punishment.”

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TOURISM

Why Americans don’t need to tip so much in Spain

You may be used to tipping a lot in the US, but if you're an American tourist or resident in Spain or perhaps if you plan to move here, this article could save you a few euros.

Published: 26 June 2024 17:24 CEST
Why Americans don't need to tip so much in Spain

In the US, it’s customary to tip between 15-25 percent, but in reality, anything below 20 percent is considered to be a bad tip and staff may be offended thinking they’ve given you bad service if they receive less.

This will of course vary according to the state and the establishment. 

As an American, you’ll know that the main reason for this is because hospitality staff are often paid low wages and they rely on tips to top up their salary and make enough to live on. 

Americans on vacation or living in Spain, often wrongly assume that it’s a similar situation here, and because they are used to tipping up to 25 percent, they understandably leave a big propina – the Spanish word for tip.

READ ALSO: What are the rules on tipping in Spain?

But the working conditions and salaries are very different in Spain, so such a large percentage isn’t deemed necessary.

In Spain, hospitality staff are paid at least minimum wage which is €1,134 across 14 payments a year, and many times above this amount too, depending on the type of establishment they work in.

They do not rely on tips in order to make a living, and therefore tips are not necessarily expected, but welcomed.

The Spanish hospitality union reminds customers that it is not mandatory to leave a tip, adding that some consumers believe that this tip “replaces decent wages”.

This means in Spain it’s not actually customary to tip at all in certain situations.

If it’s a meal in a high-class restaurant, a 10 percent tip is typically given if the service is good. At standard restaurants, some people may leave their change or round up the bill if paying by card, but it’s not expected. And if it’s a bar or café, rarely any tip is given.

So for example, if your meal costs around €40, you may leave a small tip of €2-3, but it’s not calculated as an exact percentage.

READ ALSO: 13 things foreigners do that make Spaniards feel really awkward

Some may argue with this, however, saying that a tip should only be given if the food and the service are particularly good. If it it’s just average, they say that a tip shouldn’t be necessary at all. 

Not only do Americans not need to tip so much, but they could actually be creating a problem for locals and the industry as a whole, if they do.

Because of American tipping culture, some restaurants in Spain have begun asking between 5 and 10 percent in tips automatically, particularly in big cities like Madrid and Barcelona, or even adding smiley faces to bills with various percentages – 5 percent associated with a sad face and 20 with a happy one for example.

In an interview with Spanish news site El Mundo, the general secretary of Facua-Consumers in Action, Rubén Sánchez, believes this only tries to “create a feeling of guilt” for people who don’t want to leave anything behind.

He says, however, that asking for a tip in this way “is not an illegal act because it is not imposed”. He believes that asking for extra tips is “trying to take advantage” of the client so that, “somehow, they become the one who pays extra for a salary that is too low”.

Tips “cannot be a substitute for a decent salary”, he continues, not wanting Spain to become like the US.

On top of this, eating and drinking out is a very important part of life for Spaniards and if tipping of 20-25 percent is expected, many would simple no longer be able to afford to eat out.

The median salary in the country is €2,206, according to recent data from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE). This pales in comparison to the average $6,228 Americans earn per month, according to the US Bureau of Labour and Statistics.

Yes, of course, the cost of living is cheaper in Spain because people earn less, but if you’re coming here as a tourist and creating a tipping culture, you’re also making it harder for locals to be able to afford to eat out in their own city.

What are your experiences of tipping as an American in Spain? Have you adjusted your tipping habits? Share your views with other readers in the comments section below.

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