Brit-favourite Benidorm has even said to have been hit by the drop in visitors
Spain appears to have been met with a tourist crisis, as travellers have seemingly abandoned the country with beaches allegedly left bare.
Parts of the country have seen the number of holidaymakers flocking abroad drop in recent months, following years of anti-tourism protests led by locals.
In the most recent clip snapped by one traveller, it showed empty chairs lining bars and restaurants in Benidorm, with beaches said to be more quiet than usual for this time of the year.
British expat, Harry Poulton, 24, described Costa Del Sol as “like a ghost town,” with the man taking to TikTok to share his surprise at the scene at the peak of the summer months.
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He said: “Benidorm is a ghost town…in July?! I’ve never seen it this quiet. Where is everyone?!”
Harry snapped himself standing by the main strip in the city, describing his shock at how quiet the coast was: “It’s the middle of July, look behind me, it’s dead. I’m on the Benidorm strip, there’s barely any people, this is crazy. I cannot believe it, this is the quietest I’ve ever seen Benidorm,” the Express reported.
A person on holiday at the time commented on Harry’s post to verify his claim that it appears quieter – suggesting there has been a higher influx of families to the holiday hotspot than usual.
They said: “Currently in Benners. Our first trip here and I was expecting carnage. It’s full of families.”
Another added: “In Benny now, it’s packed with families instead of stags and hens.”
The head of the nightlife association, Miguel Pérez-Marsá, told the Majorca Daily Bulletin of the crisis some are going through in Benidorm.
He said: “The tourists we’re interested in are being driven away; they don’t feel welcome and are going to other destinations.”
It has been reported the scenes in the city have become so bad that staff who would usually be busy have been given holiday due to the lack of tourists.
And what’s more, the drop in holidaymakers has also seen excursion sales drop by a huge 20 per cent this summer, Pedro Oliver, president of the College of Tour Guides said.
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He remarked: “If you generate negative news, which has repercussions in other countries, tourists opt for other destinations when choosing their holidays.
“We are sending the message that we don’t want tourists and that everything is too crowded.”
Anti-tourism and overtourism protests have spiked across Spain in recent years, with locals protesting over numerous reasons, with a few due to the cost of living, and the price of affordable housing.
The Balearic Islands in particular have seen their fair share of demonstrations, with seven bodies, including the environmental protection association GOB, and campaigners Menys Turisme, Més Vida, sent a letter out in the public domain to deter holidaymakers from the Balearic island.
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