A popular Spanish city that was once bustling with tourists is now “dead” as Brits have allegedly ditched the destination to holiday elsewhere, and it’s not the first time Spain is said to have been quiet this year
A once bustling Spanish city popular with British tourists is now “dead”, as Brits have reportedly abandoned the destination in favour of other holiday spots. This isn’t the first time Spain has been unusually quiet this year, with videos surfacing online showing completely deserted streets.
Laura, who goes by lauratravelvlogs on TikTok, has been chronicling the stark changes in Barcelona, where she has lived for over two years. She’s noticed a significant drop in visitor numbers and has been sharing footage of Spain’s eerily empty streets, silent roads and vacant beaches to highlight the drastic shift in tourism.
In a recent video featuring unusually quiet roads leading up to the beach, Laura questioned: “Sorry, no one can argue that these roads leading up to the beach were not packed in 2023?” It appears others agree with her observations about the decline in Spain’s usual hustle and bustle.
While there are still some tourists at popular spots “for now”, Laura claims their spending is at an “all time low”. She’s noticed a marked difference over the past two years and is taken aback by how tranquil the city has become.
In an earlier video, Laura highlighted the emptiness of the city centre during summer, attributing it to tourists feeling unwelcome. She suggests that protests occurring in Spain have deterred people from visiting altogether.
The video has sparked a flurry of comments since it was posted, with viewers keen to share their thoughts, which were decidedly mixed.
One individual commented: “One by one businesses from all sectors will start to close – that’s the sad thing.” Another chimed in with: “There’s already a lot of smaller towns that have fallen into despair.
“So many people have lost their jobs due to the drop in tourism. It’s madness – they’ll be begging people to go back in a few years.”
A third person responded: “Tourism in Spain is 40% down. The south coast of Spain was eerily quiet last week.”
Meanwhile, a fourth remarked: “Spain is old news – there are far nicer countries to spend your money in.”
Some questioned the timing of the video, suggesting it wasn’t all doom and gloom. One person recalled their visit in March when there were “hundreds more” people around, despite some Brits declaring the destination as “finished” for tourism.
Overall, reports suggest that Spain has been deserted by many tourists, with restaurants and beaches appearing almost vacant. Parts of the country are experiencing a decline in visitor numbers for the first time since the pandemic, coupled with years of anti-tourist protests by locals.
In August, images from Benidorm showed rows of empty chairs outside various bars and restaurants and unusually quiet beaches. This is particularly unusual for such popular tourist destinations during the summer months.
Miguel Pérez-Marsá, the head of the nightlife association, previously told Majorca Daily Bulletin: “The tourists we’re interested in are being driven away; they don’t feel welcome and are going to other destinations.” The impact is also being felt by tour guides.
Pedro Oliver, president of the College of Tour Guides, disclosed that excursion sales have plummeted by 20% this summer. He said: “If you generate negative news, which has repercussions in other countries, tourists opt for other destinations when choosing their holidays,” adding, “We are sending the message that we don’t want tourists and that everything is too crowded.”