Brits heading to 3 Spanish holiday hotspots sent warning ahead of 'unprecedented' protests

Brits heading to Spain on holiday this summer are being warned that planned protests could cause disruption. Holidaymakers planning trips to Spanish hotspots in June - including the , and - have been warned of potential disruptions as activists prepare "an unprecedented mobilisation" against .

Coordinated demonstrations are scheduled for Saturday, June 15, organised by the Southern European Network Against Touristisation, a coalition of activist groups from Spain, Italy, France and Portugal.

The network held its latest strategy meeting in Barcelona last weekend, confirming plans for widespread action across the region.

Protests are expected to take place in airports, popular beaches and city centres, with organisers warning that tourists should brace for disruption. Some have hinted at possible demonstrations inside airport terminals during peak summer travel season.

Activists behind the movement say the action aims to draw attention to the unsustainable impact of mass tourism on housing, the environment, and the quality of life for local residents.

"We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation," said Barcelona protester Elena Boschi. "Without fear, there is no change."

Activist leader Daniel Pardo added that while no single tactic has been agreed, the mobilisation will involve multiple groups acting simultaneously across key tourist destinations.

Last summer, similar protests drew thousands of residents in Barcelona, Malaga, the Canary Islands, and the Balearics, with signs reading "Tourists go home" and some confrontations turning hostile.

In Barcelona, some visitors were targeted with water pistols, and in Menorca, demonstrators blocked access to a popular beach.

The growing unrest stems from what activists describe as a housing crisis fuelled by short-term rentals and unchecked tourism.

In Spain, average rents have doubled in the last decade, and house prices have risen by over 44%, making it increasingly difficult for locals to remain in their communities. Since 2020, residential rental availability has plummeted, while platforms like Airbnb have boomed in cities and coastal areas.

"Tourism has made it impossible for families to live in their own towns," said Maria Cardona, a SET Network member from Ibiza. "This summer, we are prepared to take our actions one step further."

Environmental activist Margalida Ramis from the group GOB also warned of irreversible damage unless tourism growth is reined in. "We need urgent limits on tourism and a true socioeconomic transformation."

Despite growing tensions, some groups have been keen to emphasise that the protests are not aimed directly at visitors.

"We are not against tourists," said one SET member. "But we don't welcome a way of being in our cities and regions that turns them into places we no longer want, or can afford, to live in."

The movement includes activists from across Europe, including Lisbon, Venice, Milan, Naples, Marseille, Genoa, and the Pyrenees, many of which have also seen surging tourism and housing displacement.