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Business owners in Lloret de Mar on Spain’s Costa Brava say anti-tourism protests elsewhere have helped empty out the former “party capital”, and they’re now urging Brits to return
Business owners in a Spanish resort are encouraging British holidaymakers to come back, despite last summer’s wave of anti-tourism protests. Lloret de Mar, is a coastal town on Spain’s Costa Brava, renowned for its Blue Flag beaches, historic sites, and its 100-plus bars and clubs.
The town was once branded the “party capital of Spain”. However, many venues are now half-empty or shut altogether.
This is reportedly due to anti-tourism protests across Spain that have put visitors off. In response, pub landlords and party promoters are urging big-spending Brits to return.
They say the resort is now dominated by Dutch and German groups of underage teenagers who spend little, and push back against any price rises by threatening not to return.
Drink prices in this part of the Costa Brava have been frozen since 2018, meaning one-euro (87p) shots and eight-euro (£7) cocktails are still widely advertised. Locals say they miss the early-2000s boom years, when the area was a classic Club 18-30 hotspot for Brits.
Shop owner Mohan, 45, told the Sun: “Without tourists there would be nothing here in Lloret de Mar. We love English tourists here because they spend the most.
“Yes, some get a bit drunk and loud, but that’s not the end of the world. The protests in Barcelona have put people off coming here. It’s July, and it’s not as busy as it should be.
“We want tourists to know they are welcome. I’ve lived in Lloret since 1999 and everyone here wants more Brits — more tourists, not less.”
Locals said that without tourists there would be “nothing” there.
Italian Claudio, who has lived in Lloret for 12 years, said he struggles to understand the anti- tourist protests happening in other parts of Spain. He told the Sun: “It has affected our numbers here, especially this year.
“But we need tourists in Lloret, we love them. Most of Spain needs tourists too, so protesting against them doesn’t help anyone.
“Tourists should come to Lloret for the good weather, the beautiful beaches, and amazing food options. Plus there are lots of cultural places around here to visit, such as Girona.”
Dan Clark and Ollie Bott, both 20, from Stoke, say they booked the resort after spotting it on the Jet2 website. Ollie said: “For a random find, we’ve got no regrets… it’s already shaping up to be better than Zante,” adding that “a lot of bars are giving us drinks for half price because we’re British.”
Newlyweds Rachel, 37, and Phillip, 41, from Leeds said: “It wasn’t quite what we expected for our honeymoon, but we love how lively it is,” with Phillip adding it “feels really safe” and “the booze is cheap”. Paul Willmot and Janette Machin, both 57, from Bridlington, believe it could rival Benidorm, with Janette saying: “It has potential and reminds me of Beni and Sunny Beach before they got super-popular.”
She added: “We didn’t let the protests in other parts of Spain put us off, and no one else should either.” Last year, 18.4 million Britons travelled to Spain, pumping an estimated £20 billion into the economy, according to Spain’s Ministry of Tourism.
Yet soaring visitor numbers have been accused of worsening the country’s housing crisis, fuelling protests in Barcelona, the Balearics and the Canary Islands, where placards read “Tourists go home” and “Foreigners not welcome”, according to the Sun.
Lloret faces similar housing pressures to hotspots like Ibiza and Tenerife, but locals there are directing their frustration at the government rather than holidaymakers. In response, authorities have stepped up action against illegal lets, with police last week raiding 23 unlicensed tourist flats and issuing fines of up to £20,000, as per the Sun.
Restaurant Pinocchio owner Claudio La Face, 37, explained: “Unlicensed holiday flats are a problem because people are concerned about renting to locals as if there is a problem, such as not paying rent, there is little they can do. On top of that, many prefer to rent to tourists because they can make a lot of money, despite the risk of big fines.”
Marcus Faraji, Disco Londoner and Touch Down Sports bar owner, told The Sun: “90% of the industry here is based around tourism, even if it’s not directly. More needs to be done to educate locals that their livelihoods and comforts come from tourists being welcome here.
“This is getting lost because many people are so worried about the housing issues. The drinking tourism we get upsets some, and they complain that people don’t come here to visit cultural places, but the truth is we don’t have the infrastructure for that.
“Many of the tourists that come here are in groups organised by tour operators, who take up bulk bookings at hotels. English people are my favourite tourists because they spend so much.
“They can be a bit difficult, like fighting each other, but they come with a budget to spend and will spend it all. It means we have to keep drinks cheap, because if we raise our prices they threaten to not come.”
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