Laurence Dollimore
ARTWORK demanding ‘guiris‘ to ‘get out of our neighbourhoods’ has sparked debate on social media in Spain.
Guiri is a word used to describe tourists or expats in the country, typically of British or northern European descent – and can be pejorative depending on the context.
It comes as new graffiti has emerged in Sevilla, a popular winter destination in the southern region of Andalucia.
One message (pictured above right) reads: “We must vomit out tourists”, while another says: “Tourist apartments out!”
Meanwhile, a ‘mural’ (pictured above left) created by AI artist @ranchorocket on Instagram reads: “Guiris out of our neighbourhoods.”
Another image shared by the artist shows a tourist with a wheelie suitcase being kicked by a local next to the words: “Guiris out of our neighbourhoods.”
The images have won praise from some locals online, with many responding with heart and clapping emojis.
One wrote: “This is great, enough of selling the neighborhood to outsiders!”
Another said: “I wish we had a mural like this on every island,” while one simply wrote: “Excellent.”
However others rushed to defend the tourism industry.
One user wrote: “We need to find an efficient solution for both sides, the Canary Islands without tourism would lose 60% of employment and the economy would fall.”
Another agreed writing: “Don’t blame tourism because thanks to them the islands are well,” to which a furious local replied: “Shut up foreigner and coloniser, it’s because of people like you the islands are as they are.”
Another suggested locals were also to blame for opting to put their spare homes on Airbnb instead of renting long term.
They wrote: “Let’s not forget the detail that those responsible for this are mostly people from here, who drool over high incomes. It’s time to put the spotlight on those greedy neighbours.”
Locals across Spain have expressed concerns about overcrowding, rising housing costs, and the degradation of their environment due to mass tourism.
There have been several protests in tourism hotspots over the past year, including Malaga, Sevilla, Tenerife and the Balearic Islands.
One of their main gripes is the surge in Airbnb-style properties which are causing a housing crisis by stripping back demand and sending prices soaring.
Malaga city, for example, now has one of the highest number of tourist apartments per capita in the country.
The lack of affordable housing is stoking anger among locals, particularly young people, who are having to move further away from the centre.
Meanwhile, traditional businesses, bars and restaurants are rapidly being turned into tourist flats because they can make more money.
This, locals say, is stripping the city of its identity and ‘soul’, and leaves the city centre practically empty during the off season when the Airbnb and Booking.com flats are not being booked.
