Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations globally. In 2023, Spain welcomed a record 85.1 million international tourists, ranking as the second-most visited destination worldwide that year. Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands emerged as the top destinations in Spain for international tourists in 2023.
While a nearly 20 per cent year-on-year increase in international tourist footfall bodes well for Spain's tourism industry, not everyone in the country shares the same enthusiasm. Definitely not the residents of Binibeca Vell, a small village on the island of Menorca. The village, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, has been a tourist attraction for a considerable time.
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The number of visitors to the village has surged to around 800,000 annually, mostly between May and October. This year, it's expected to reach a staggering 1 million.
However, now the villagers are saying no to people visiting Binibeca Vell and have even threatened to make the village off-limits to tourists. The reason? The behaviour of tourists! Villagers allege that tourists are entering homes, sitting on chairs, taking items, climbing on walls, and hosting outdoor drinking parties, much to the annoyance of the residents.
Óscar Monge, who heads the group representing Binibeca Vell’s 195 property owners, stated that while there are concerns for the families whose livelihoods depend on local tourism, they now feel they have no choice but to propose completely closing off access to the village.
‘From the coast, you would still be able to visit the perimeter of the village, but you wouldn’t be able to enter the interior lanes,' he told the Guardian, 'And that’s the charming photo everyone wants for Instagram.’
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Binibeca Vell is not alone in struggling with an influx of tourists. Recently, a Japanese town decided to block the view of Mount Fuji to reduce the flow of tourists there.
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