Pilgrims turn Spain’s Santiago de Compostela into the world’s latest overtourism flashpoint
Santiago de Compostela, Spain (AP) – Some Barcelona residents trying to spray a tsunami of tourists with plastic water gunA neighborhood union in Santiago de Compostela chose a more friendly approach: the good behavior guide for those who visit their towns, the extreme point of the most famous pilgrimage world in the world.
The band, which was translated into several languages, published in the northwest Spanish city and distributed a constantly growing number of hostels. He reminded tourists to reduce noise, respect traffic rules and use plastic protectors on walk poles to avoid damaging the streets of narrow parquet stone as well as other things.
Very little in vain, it looks like that. Large groups still take over the streets that say hymns, bicycles are in the wrong direction and metal polar tips hit the ground. Santiago’s social media is shaken by photographs condemning the lack of decay.
Nevertheless, the greater crime of tourists, stems from their pure numbers; The old cities and squares surrounding the cathedral, holding the well -known tomb of the Apostle Saint James – and this was the center of the city life for a millennium – today is almost only the field of foreigners who serve to fire the inhabitants. This dynamic has emerged as Santiago’s last global destination for residents for a long time. Over -growing extreme transform communities.
“We have no tourism-fob. We have always lived in harmony with tourism, but when it comes out of control, when the pressure goes beyond the reasonable thing, that is, when the rejection emerges,” he said.
Landscape for visitors
Known in English, St. “Camino de Santiago ,, known as the path of James, dates back to the 9th century, followed by the pilgrims of Portugal and France that get closer to hundreds of kilometers on the starting roads. Modern Sheen’s 2010 film “The Way ğı won by modern popularity, social media and experience -oriented travel was more recently turbocharged After the coronavirus pandemin.
Last year, half a million people registered to visit one of the cathedral’s approved routes, equal to five times the settled population of the city and increased by 725 times in the last forty years. These masses are added to ordinary tourists that do not come by Trail.
According to a study by the City Council to Fundación Universidade to Coruña, the proliferation of short -term rents increased from 2018 to 2023. This led the municipal authorities to classify the regional government as a high -pressure zone such as Barcelona or San Sebastian, which would help limit the rent increases.
Last November, the Santiago Municipal Assembly banned the Airbnb -style tourist accommodation unit in the historical center and announced at that time that it was a necessity arising from its significant growth, which has clear effects on the number of housing residents and prices ”.
Sihara Pérez, a researcher from the University of Santiago, described any place to be rented in the city as “mission impossible ,, while 27 -year -old Antonio Jeremías said that he was thinking of moving to Associated Press with his mother because he is not enough to end his full -time work in a warehouse.
32 -year -old Andrea Dopazo tried to leave the house of their parents in a neighborhood with a completely 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the city center. However, the desire to continue to live where he grew up and the ties of community were proven to be strong, and he had to get something in a town outside Santiago.
Dopazo working in human resources, “the only person who can stay in the neighborhoods, grandmother and grandfather, uncles or parents to inherit an apartment is lucky – or unlucky ones,” he said.
It was in Spain Big Street Protests Against the appropriate residences that connect the housing crisis to tourists who make short -term rentals.
Break the rules
In the old city, tourists can stay in small hotels in old houses or in large hostels transformed from old seminars that are not subject to ban. However, to get cash, some short -term rental seemingly swims the restriction, gathering switch hanging outside the buildings hanging from locked boxes.
“Some follow the rules, and others do not do it, but this is really the model that limits housing houses, Mont Montse provinces said another neighborhood group Xuntanza.
Santiago Town Hall, Associated Press, said, “He did everything to implement the regulations” and an illegal apartment tourist, he said he took action.
Between 2000 and 2020, Almuíña lost about half of its permanent population, and now it was reduced to only 3,000 inhabitants behind the thick stone facades of the buildings. No hardware warehouses or newspaper dealers and only one oven. There are several market cafes, ice cream halls and souvenir shops.
Almuíña, “The city is empty. Just to see that everything we have closed, abandoned buildings are broken down,” he added.
Spirit
This year, the number of pilgrims reaching Santiago continues to break another record. The fluctuation directs the residents of Santiago to the tourism -centered economic model of their cities; According to a study conducted by Rede Galabra, a research group focusing on cultural studies at the University of Santiago, rejected it in 2023, a ten years ago, a fifth of quarter.
Even some of the pilgrims say that the Spaniards, who came together on the route four years ago and have returned since then, are a shift like álvaro Castaño and Ale Ostesoo.
“Camino is increasingly known, many more people are coming, Os said Osteso, at the end of the last morning walks, bright, color -coordinated clothes and families taking pictures among the tour groups. “Spirituality seems to have lost a little bit from time to time.”
