Spain Major protest against mass tourism in Málaga too
Thousands have protested against mass tourism in Málaga. During their march in the center of the southern Spanish city on Saturday, people carried placards with inscriptions such as "Málaga is not for sale" and "This is not tourism, this is an invasion". According to the organizers, 25,000 people took part in the rally. Meanwhile, the newspaper "El País" estimated the number of participants at 15,000.
29.06.2024, 21:49
SDA
In recent weeks and months, there have been major protests against the excesses of tourism in the popular vacation destination, including in Mallorca, Barcelona and the Canary Islands. Now Málaga has seen one of the largest demonstrations in recent times in the Andalusian coastal metropolis, according to several Spanish media outlets.
The tenants' association "Sindicato de Inquilinos e Inquilinas" had called for the demonstration. The organization blames the ever-increasing number of visitors and vacation apartments for the housing shortage and other problems. "The city is suffering, the resentment is great. Above all, the housing problem had to be put on the table," Curro Machuca, spokesman for the organizers, was quoted as saying by "El País".
With more than 12,000 legally registered vacation homes, Málaga is only behind Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. In addition, many private accommodations for holidaymakers in Málaga, as elsewhere, are operated illegally. "The situation is untenable. It is impossible to buy a house", said demonstrator María Franco to "El País". Engineer Sonia Raya told the paper that she had recently viewed a windowless garage in Málaga that was being offered as an apartment for a monthly rent of 600 euros.
