UK tourists have been warned one of their favourite Spanish holiday locations could be in need of a “tourist cap”. Environmental campaigners in the vicinity of Benidorm are joining forces with activists from the Canary Islands and Balearics, calling for restrictions on tourism due to a water supply crisis.
Jaime Vaello, from environmental group Xoriguer Ecogical, said while the booming tourist industry brings wealth, it also comes with significant drawbacks. And he warned there would have to be action in Benidorm.
He said: “From a social perspective, the consequences of tourism are not different from other tourist regions in the Mediterranean area.”
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The campaigner, who works as a physiotherapist, pointed out that the influx of tourists each year leads to “saturation of public services”, “loss of native culture”, and exposes locals to “anti-social activities”.
He suggested that a cap should be placed on the number of tourists visiting the area, although he did not provide a specific figure. In addition to the typical costs of tourism that Mr Vaello believes are common to any Mediterranean resort, he also expressed concern about the increasing infrastructure demands of the holiday trade, which he says are damaging the landscape and leading to water shortages.
“The urban development activity associated with the tourism industry is largely responsible for the landscape degradation and the alteration of ecosystems”, he explained, reports the Express.
“As for water”, he remarked, “the excessive increase in its consumption is due to greater population and its use in swimming pools [and] gardens in the countless residential developments in the area.”
During a visit by Express.co.uk to the Benidorm vicinity in August, water restrictions were observed in the neighbouring Marina Alta towns. A stop at the Amadorio reservoir, located just outside Benidorm, revealed noticeably reduced water levels.
Mr Vaello estimated that the reservoir’s capacity was down to a mere 12 percent, attributing this to the scorching weather and the high demand from both tourists and residential areas.
“The lack of water is a direct threat to the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants and endangers the already very deteriorated agricultural sector”, he continued.
He further criticised the “creation of macro-residential complexes in natural areas of high ecological and landscape value”, predicting more “water deficits” in the future if local authorities persist with their development strategies.
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