Spain’s Seville announces plans to clamp down on short-term holiday rentals

Seville, the Andalusian city in Spain, has announced plans for new restrictions on short-term holiday lets as part of the country’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on over-tourism and its impact on rent prices in popular destinations.

The new license restrictions will be introduced to better control negative impacts caused by surges in tourist activity while ensuring that no more than ten per cent of properties in the city will be tourist residences.

In addition, no more tourists will be granted licenses in areas already immensely impacted by over-tourism, like the city centre and areas like Triana. This means that Seville joins a growing list of towns and cities implementing caps on let licenses, as Barcelona and Madrid recently announced plans to execute a similar restriction, with Barcelona planning a full ban by the end of 2028.

Seville boasts over 100 different neighbourhoods, which means the new rollout will likely cause overwhelming tourist numbers to decline over a longer period of time. However, some groups, like The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, have already criticised the plans as not being strict enough, stating that the restrictions should be “tougher and more ambitious.”

How are other destinations responding to over-tourism?

Many major Spanish tourist destinations are beginning to address the negative impacts of over-tourism, particularly in areas where historical sites and buildings are at risk of damage. According to Time Out, Spain is set to surpass France in 2040 as the most-visited country, with its current figures sitting at a whopping 110million visitors per year.

Despite the obvious economic benefits, the Spanish government continues to share the same sentiments as many other leaders regarding the complications of over-tourism and how it negatively impacts the country’s inhabitants.

Recently, it was announced that travellers to Spain‘s Balearic Islands might have to consider additional charges next year as the government vows to introduce higher tourist tax. Other popular locations, including Majorca, Croatia, Greece, and Montenegro, are also beginning to issue more warnings against tourism behaviour, like walking around indecently and neglecting to cover up in public.

Last year, Croatia warned visitors they could be fined up to £3,400 for walking around shirtless or drinking in public places. At the same time, Dubrovnik took this a step further by forbidding tourists from carrying wheeled suitcases in the city centre due to the noise disruption. Greece is also attempting to control their over-tourism situation by banning the construction on the island of Santorini.

Clearly, governments are now taking vital action to preserve historical sites and prioritise the wellbeing and quality of life or their existing inhabitants.