A popular Spanish city that was once bustling with tourists is “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. Videos have emerged online of the area and the streets are totally empty.
Laura, known as lauratravelvlogs on TikTok, has been documenting how different Barcelona looks this year, having lived there for over two years herself, and she said there’s been a notable difference in the amount of people visiting. For months, she’s been sharing videos of Spain’s empty streets, quiet roads and deserted beaches – all to show just how much tourism in the country has changed.
Over a recent video of very quiet roads, Laura wrote: “Sorry, no one can argue that these roads leading up to the beach were not packed in 2023?” When it comes to how quiet Spain has become in recent years, it seems that other people also agree with her claims.
Laura added there are still some tourists “for now” at the hotspots, but she claimed spending is at an “all time low”. She has seen a big difference in the last two years, and she can’t get over how quiet the city has become.
In a previous video, Laura also showed how empty the city centre has been during the summer because “tourists don’t feel welcome”. She believes the protests that have taken place in Spain have put people off visiting completely.
Hundreds of people have commented on the video since it was shared, with several being keen to share their views. Their thoughts were pretty divided.
One person wrote: “One by one businesses from all sectors will start to close – that’s the sad thing.” Another added: “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 replied: “Tourism is Spain is 40% down. The south coast of Spain was eerily quiet last week.” Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Spain is old news – there are far nicer countries to spend your money in.”
Some people questioned what time of day the video was taken though, with others suggesting it’s not all bad news. One person said they visited in March and there were “hundreds more” people around, even though some Brits think the destination is “finished” when it comes to tourism.
Generally, it’s been reported that Spain has been abandoned by a lot of tourists, with restaurants and beaches seemingly almost empty. Parts of the country have been seeing a decline in visitor numbers for the first time since the pandemic, as well as years of anti-tourist protests by locals.
In August, pictures from Benidorm revealed a slew of empty chairs outside various bars and restaurants and rather quiet beaches. This is especially rare for huge tourist destinations during the summer months.
The head of the nightlife association, Miguel Pérez-Marsá, 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.” Tour guides are also feeling the pinch.
Pedro Oliver, president of the College of Tour Guides, revealed excursion sales have dropped by 20% this summer. “If you generate negative news, which has repercussions in other countries, tourists opt for other destinations when choosing their holidays,” he said. “We are sending the message that we don’t want tourists and that everything is too crowded.”