Rooting for The Anti Tourist: Why Mediterranean Locals Are Saying No to Tourism

The ongoing Mediterranean protests are rightly raising awareness of the need for conscious travel.

If you're traipsing around Barcelona in mid-June, seeing the sights under the basking hot sun of 35 degrees, it may feel a little refreshing—perhaps even welcoming—getting blasted with a water pistol.

But the unexpected spritz is not from a friendly local trying to cool you down. Quite the opposite: they want you out.

In recent years, water pistols have evolved into an anti-tourism symbol in Spain, and has since been adopted across several Mediterranean cities grappling with over tourism. Last weekend, protest groups gathered in Mallorca, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Venice. Some brought suitcases, wheeling them through the streets to noisily sound their discontent.

Protesters claim tourism is driving the cost of living and making cities inaccessible for locals. The growing presence of Airbnb and properties tailored to short-term lets has caused surging prices and made local life unbearably expensive. While complaints against tourist-saturated areas are nothing new—especially in Spain, with its eyesore beach condos catering to seasonal vacationing Brits —these types of organised ‘water pistol’ protests highlight a new type of action.

Last weekend, groups across cities in Italy, Portugal and France organised a series of protests—grouped into the umbrella SET alliance — Sud d'Europa contra la Turistització (Catalan for Southern Europe against Overtourism). In tourist-smothered communities in cities including Barcelona, Granada, Palma, Ibiza, Lisbon, Venice , Genova and Palermo, hundreds of protesters gathered together.

The movement has taken on a near-vigilante tone: stickering businesses with slogans like "Neighbourhood self-defence. Tourists go home," spraying groups of tourists with water pistols, and marching with signs reading "You come here so I have to leave," while chanting "Your holiday, my misery."

"Your holiday, my misery."

Speaking to AP at the Barcelona protest, local resident Andreu Martínez explained his rent has been hiked up by over 30%, which he says is due to properties being snapped up for expensive short-term tourist stays. Additionally, as more tourists move in, traditional local haunts are replaced by tacky souvenir shops and overpriced bubble tea cafés. “Our lives, as lifelong residents of Barcelona, are coming to an end. We are being pushed out systematically,” he said.

Yet is the single tourist to blame, or rather the government and businessmen that invites them over? One Brazilian traveller in his thirties thinks the movement is too harsh towards tourist groups. He recently toured Italy and France with his parents, fulfilling a lifelong dream. “It’s not nice to be confronted by protesters and sprayed with water pistols,” he told Trippin. “Tourists can be respectful and supportive. You can save up for years to have these special experiences with your family. The protests should be aimed at governments, not us.”

Last year, Venice began charging tourists entrance fees in an effort to reduce footfall. “I think that’s fair,” he says—his family gladly paid the fee. “What’s not fair is having people yell at you in the street.”

These anti-tourism protests have stirred authorities into action. Spain has recently delisted 66,000 Airbnb properties across the country in a bid to control overtourism. Its incumbent leftist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has openly supported the movement, stating: “There are too many Airbnbs and not enough homes.”

Removing these listings is part of a wider plan to regulate the unchecked explosion of tourism-based property use. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s local government has announced plans to ban short-term tourist rentals entirely by 2028.

Across the Atlantic, US authorities have urged caution for tourists travelling to Europe this summer, given exacerbating tensions between locals and visitors. But rather than suggesting alternative destinations or encouraging more conscious travel, the advice is underwhelming: stay alert, avoid large gatherings, and keep a low profile. There’s little reflection on the tourist’s role in the crisis—no call for greater self-awareness or understanding of why these protests exist in the first place.

So, what can be done? Putting pressure on government bodies for wider regulation is important—Spain has already taken a lead here. For those not from these areas, being aware of these protests and movements is equally important ahead of travelling—if there’s hundreds of locals gathering to protest against tourists, it’s likely that it’s simply not the time to take that trip.

Another easy rule to follow to just avoid peak season: 100 million tourists flock to Spain each year, with the majority arriving in the summer months. If you notice somewhere is swamped with tourists, avoid it. Don’t saturate a city, town, or neighbourhood to the point where local life becomes unrecognisable. Think beyond the obvious when choosing destinations.

At Trippin, we are rooting for the anti-tourist movement while embracing purposeful travel that goes beyond surface-level recommendations. We want to make sure we travel well—and for the right reasons.

Towards a collaborative form of seeing the world, where travel can be beneficial to local communities, and not subtractive. Make sure to find ethical accommodation that supports locals, rather than monopolises wealth. Check your environmental footprint and avoid contributing to places that are ecologically impacted by tourists. Spend your money in the right places, supporting the right people, to make sure you are positively supporting locals.

There are plenty of places that do want to welcome you—and such places are where we highlight in our guides and curated destinations, where travel has culture at the centre and community at the heart.