Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Recent headlines claim that Malaga’s tourist rental sector is losing British tourists due to protests by locals.
The province of Malaga, and the Costa del Sol, remain open to the British tourists who have always loved them.
This headline is not yet measurable in terms of the damage caused to families and small businesses who rent out their homes. Rumours can spread quickly when full facts are not considered. These stories can have a negative impact on businesspeople who are honest and make modest gains.
Facts about the protests in Spain
In 2024, protests in Spain, particularly in Malaga were a result of the lack affordable housing. This was largely due to the delays in reclassifying land for social housing. Now, in 2025, there are multiple social housing projects already underway along the Costa del Sol to address the housing shortage. There have been similar protests that specifically mentioned tourism in Malaga, but there were also similar ones in Barcelona and Mallorca.
As did other popular European destinations, Costa del Sol’s councils tightened up regulations and inspections on tourist apartments in 2024. However, these did not apply to those who rent out their own homes when not in use, known as holiday homes, or ‘viviendas vacacionales.’ Both are listed in sites like Airbnb.
British welcome in Malaga
One publication in Birmingham in the UK and another in Spain reported a 37 thousand drop in tourists in January. However, they deliberately ignored the fact that the data originally indicated a decline in Spanish tourists who booked nights in Malaga and not British tourists. Both chose to portray Brits as victims.
Malaga and Costa del Sol are still very open to British tourists. Locals do not resent them, as they see their holidaymakers’ custom as an important and integral part of the local economy and social fabric.
