It was a status once celebrated, but in recent times, mood has darkened.
The influx of tourists crowding the streets and beaches has become a burden for locals, sparking an angry backlash against visitors to Europe’s hottest destinations, including Croatia and Spain.
There are now fears that recent terror attacks in Barcelona could escalate tensions between tourists and locals.
It was only two months ago the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warned local police that Barcelona’s Las Ramblas was at risk of being targeted by jihadis because of its lack of bollards and easy access from the roads surrounding it.
“The CIA moved its notice to the Catalan police two months ago. They even put the focus on the Ramblas,” El Periodico reported.
The prediction tragically became a reality when a van ploughed into crowds in Las Ramblas, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 80, around midday on Thursday local time. A second attack was also carried out in the nearby coastal town of Cambrils, where five attackers in suicide belts were killed in a police shootout. Islamic State has reportedly since claimed responsibility for the incidents.
While the full impact of the twin attacks remains to be seen, terrorism isn’t the only battle the country has on its hands.
Tensions have been simmering in the Catalan capital after several groups in Barcelona merged together in a campaign against unchecked tourism growth in the city.
Protesters complained of a spike in drunken and anti-social, rowdy behaviour of some tourists and being priced out of their own city.
They also claim a sharp rise in the city’s choked boulevards to the swarms of cruise liners disgorging passengers into the country’s ports, is making life intolerable for residents.
The anti-tourism movement has led to numerous incidents of violence, vandalism and severe public disorder in recent months.
Just last week, the proliferation of tourist apartments in the Barceloneta neighbourhood sparked protests from about 200 locals at the city’s world famous beach.
Protest group Arran Països Catalans warned of more attacks, with fresh threats of violence spreading to Majorca.
Earlier this week, radicals carrying flare guns were seen targeting diners at a Marina restaurant in Palma, screaming “go home”.
Several public spaces have also been defaced with stickers carrying the slogans “Tourism kills the city” and “Tourists go home”. And radical leftists groups have stopped a sightseeing bus tour, sabotaged rental bikes often used by tourists, and painted graffiti messages of “Tourist Go Home” on buildings across the city.
Youths targeting a tourist bus in Barcelona last month punctured a tyre and sprayed it with a slogan saying “tourism kills neighbourhoods”.
Politicians have been quick to condemn protesters — who have gathered outside hotels and vandalised tourist buildings and vehicles — amid fears holiday-makers are being scared off.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the left-wing activists “crazy extremists”.
And Rafael Gallego, chair of the Spanish Association of Travel Agents (Feaav), branded the protesters “fascists” and said their actions could get worse.
“This tourismphobia has been worrying us since last summer,” he said.
“In 2016 we noted graffiti and there was an aggression with a glass against tourists who were on an excursion, so we alerted that the situation could radicalise, which is what we have seen.
“Now there are protests in the entrances of hotels, restaurants and in ports.
“They call themselves left-wing but they are more fascist than the far right. We are very worried that they might cause a serious incident with our visitors at any day.”
Mr Gallego defended the tourist industry, saying: “It is the sector which has recovered the greatest numbers of jobs since the crisis.”
To placate the locals, Barcelona has cracked down on unlicensed rentals for tourists that residents blame for the surge in tourist numbers. Authorities have also cracked down of tourists’ behaviour with an increased police presence in most resorts and fines issued for public nudity and sexual activity. The government has also contemplated banning alcohol sales at airports and on flights.
Last year, a record 75 million holiday-makers visited the country — nearly 17 million of them British. Australians did not make the top 20 list of foreign arrivals, according to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics.
As many as 3.6 million cruise passengers disembarked in Spanish ports in the first half of 2017, double the amount of a decade ago, according to the Public Works Ministry.
The tourism industry, in turn, is becoming increasingly important in propping up the rocky Spanish economy, which was among the worst hit in Europe during the recession.
The tourism sector makes up a colossal 14.2 per cent of Spain’s GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) — with that percentage predicted to continue rising in the coming years.
The number of foreign visitors will rise about 12 per cent this year to a record 84 million in 2017, according to analysts at CaixaBank SA.
Spain’s growing reliance on tourism makes its overall economy increasingly vulnerable to a drop in footfall — especially from its biggest customers.
Friends, if you like this post kindly comment below and do share your responds Thanks for reading
The influx of tourists crowding the streets and beaches has become a burden for locals, sparking an angry backlash against visitors to Europe’s hottest destinations, including Croatia and Spain.
There are now fears that recent terror attacks in Barcelona could escalate tensions between tourists and locals.
It was only two months ago the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warned local police that Barcelona’s Las Ramblas was at risk of being targeted by jihadis because of its lack of bollards and easy access from the roads surrounding it.
“The CIA moved its notice to the Catalan police two months ago. They even put the focus on the Ramblas,” El Periodico reported.
The prediction tragically became a reality when a van ploughed into crowds in Las Ramblas, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 80, around midday on Thursday local time. A second attack was also carried out in the nearby coastal town of Cambrils, where five attackers in suicide belts were killed in a police shootout. Islamic State has reportedly since claimed responsibility for the incidents.
While the full impact of the twin attacks remains to be seen, terrorism isn’t the only battle the country has on its hands.
Tensions have been simmering in the Catalan capital after several groups in Barcelona merged together in a campaign against unchecked tourism growth in the city.
Protesters complained of a spike in drunken and anti-social, rowdy behaviour of some tourists and being priced out of their own city.
They also claim a sharp rise in the city’s choked boulevards to the swarms of cruise liners disgorging passengers into the country’s ports, is making life intolerable for residents.
The anti-tourism movement has led to numerous incidents of violence, vandalism and severe public disorder in recent months.
Just last week, the proliferation of tourist apartments in the Barceloneta neighbourhood sparked protests from about 200 locals at the city’s world famous beach.
Protest group Arran Països Catalans warned of more attacks, with fresh threats of violence spreading to Majorca.
Earlier this week, radicals carrying flare guns were seen targeting diners at a Marina restaurant in Palma, screaming “go home”.
Several public spaces have also been defaced with stickers carrying the slogans “Tourism kills the city” and “Tourists go home”. And radical leftists groups have stopped a sightseeing bus tour, sabotaged rental bikes often used by tourists, and painted graffiti messages of “Tourist Go Home” on buildings across the city.
Youths targeting a tourist bus in Barcelona last month punctured a tyre and sprayed it with a slogan saying “tourism kills neighbourhoods”.
Politicians have been quick to condemn protesters — who have gathered outside hotels and vandalised tourist buildings and vehicles — amid fears holiday-makers are being scared off.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the left-wing activists “crazy extremists”.
And Rafael Gallego, chair of the Spanish Association of Travel Agents (Feaav), branded the protesters “fascists” and said their actions could get worse.
“This tourismphobia has been worrying us since last summer,” he said.
“In 2016 we noted graffiti and there was an aggression with a glass against tourists who were on an excursion, so we alerted that the situation could radicalise, which is what we have seen.
“Now there are protests in the entrances of hotels, restaurants and in ports.
“They call themselves left-wing but they are more fascist than the far right. We are very worried that they might cause a serious incident with our visitors at any day.”
Mr Gallego defended the tourist industry, saying: “It is the sector which has recovered the greatest numbers of jobs since the crisis.”
To placate the locals, Barcelona has cracked down on unlicensed rentals for tourists that residents blame for the surge in tourist numbers. Authorities have also cracked down of tourists’ behaviour with an increased police presence in most resorts and fines issued for public nudity and sexual activity. The government has also contemplated banning alcohol sales at airports and on flights.
Last year, a record 75 million holiday-makers visited the country — nearly 17 million of them British. Australians did not make the top 20 list of foreign arrivals, according to Spain’s National Institute of Statistics.
As many as 3.6 million cruise passengers disembarked in Spanish ports in the first half of 2017, double the amount of a decade ago, according to the Public Works Ministry.
The tourism industry, in turn, is becoming increasingly important in propping up the rocky Spanish economy, which was among the worst hit in Europe during the recession.
The tourism sector makes up a colossal 14.2 per cent of Spain’s GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) — with that percentage predicted to continue rising in the coming years.
The number of foreign visitors will rise about 12 per cent this year to a record 84 million in 2017, according to analysts at CaixaBank SA.
Spain’s growing reliance on tourism makes its overall economy increasingly vulnerable to a drop in footfall — especially from its biggest customers.
Friends, if you like this post kindly comment below and do share your responds Thanks for reading
No comments:
Post a Comment