More than 700 people took to the streets of Alicante recently to protest against the impact of mass tourism on property prices and local communities. Organised by the neighbourhood group Donde Vas (Where Are You Going?), the demonstrators marched through the city centre, chanting slogans like “Alicante is not for sale” and “housing is a right and tourism a privilege.”
The protest culminated at the Casino del Puerto, where a manifesto was read, condemning the transformation of Alicante into a “theme park.” The manifesto argued that while the city appears to thrive on tourism, it is actually being exploited by it, stressing that Alicante has reached its limit.
The statement highlighted the escalating difficulty for locals to find affordable housing, exacerbated by job insecurity in the tourism sector characterized by low wages, temporary contracts, and poor working conditions, particularly affecting women and migrants.
Donde Vas warned against a “tourist monoculture” model, predicting an unsustainable future and worsening environmental crises that benefit only a business elite. The group expressed feeling invisible to institutions that prioritize tourism’s economic interests over residents’ needs.
The manifesto concluded with a call for introspection: “We cannot allow Alicante to become a city devoid of residents, families, and neighborhoods, where the right to our city is sacrificed for economic gain. It’s time to pause and reflect on where we’re going and how we want to share our urban space.”