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British tourists told to ‘go home’ by furious locals in graffiti sprawled across Spanish holiday hotspot
BRITISH tourists on holiday in Spain have been told to “go home” by furious locals in a graffiti message sprawled across a popular Spanish hotspot.
Graffiti saying “tourists go home” and “flamenco is not a show” have appeared on walls in Albaicin in the city of Granada in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.
Other messages say “tourists won’t buy up Granada” and “tourists, Granada is not a postcard” were also spotted in the picturesque district.
A spokesperson for the neighbourhood association Bajo Albaicin told local media that an increasing number of messages, predominantly written in English, have appeared over the last two weeks.
ANTI-TOURISM GRAFFITI
The association has some sympathy for the underlying message about tourism, but said: “If you want to defend Albaicin, you cannot do anything worse than spray graffiti.”
An American tourist interviewed by local media said: “It is a shame the city is being spoiled like this, we came here 30 years ago and it has changed a lot, but it is still beautiful.”
According to local media, over 27,000 visitors come to Granada every day and the area is reliant on anti-tourism.
The city was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984 due to its Medieval Moorish past dating back to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.
However, residents often complain of rising costs and say that mass tourism damages the local way of life.
The police suspect that an organised movement is behind the increase in anti-tourism graffiti, but said that no one has reported being accosted or insulted yet, according to local media.
Reports also said that one suspect has been identified from the CCTV cameras in the area even though he was masked and “knew what he was doing”.
No arrests have been made yet and the investigation is ongoing.
CRACKDOWN ON BOOZY BRITS
Recently, some of Spain‘s popular tourist cities have implemented stricter rules on boozy Brits abroad as tensions rise over drinking and public nudity.
Benidorm has followed Magaluf and Ibiza in cracking down on drunken louts, with a plan to blacklist troublemakers.
The list would detail the names, nationalities and passport numbers of anyone who has been arrested for behaving offensively or brawling.
The tough measures come after more and more hoteliers report that drunken hooligans are offending staff and fellow tourists, as well as vandalising rooms.
The ban is also popular among ex-pats.
Locals are also calling for a clamp down on raucous stag and hen parties, who they brand “uncivic”.
Anyone caught flouting the rules will have to pay up to £430 in fines.
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Earlier today, Benidorm police announced they will be out in force to keep boozy Brits in check during the Champions League final on Saturday.
The police operation in the capital is set to be the largest in Spain’s history – with 4,700 officers expected to patrol the street from Thursday to Sunday.
Benidorm council have also confirmed that there will be a large police presence in the popular tourist area of Rincon de Loix.