Spanish town with gorgeous beaches, sought after by millions of tourists, changes rules for visitors: ‘Anyone is no longer welcome’

One of Spain’s most sought-after tourist towns, famous for its beaches and numerous attractions, is changing the rules for visitors. Local authorities want to put a brake on “low cost” tourism and uncivilized behavior, and new rules for tourists are being prepared from 2027. The mayor sends a firm message: “Every tourist is no longer welcome.”

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It is about Valencia, where the local administration is preparing a new municipal ordinance on coexistence and civic responsibility. The City Council is to approve the document in 2027, and it will target a series of behaviors considered incompatible with respect for the city and its residents.

Mayor María José Catalá claims that Valencia no longer aims to attract as many tourists as possible at any cost, but to change the profile of visitors and encourage quality tourism. “Every tourist is no longer welcome here; we need tourists who really respect the city”, said María José Catalá, eleeconomista reports.

The local administration says it has been working since 2023 to change the tourism profile of the city, as part of a strategy that the mayor describes as a “commitment to quality tourism”.

The city of Valencia is changing the rules for visitors Photo: pixabay

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“We don’t want “low cost” tourism, we don’t want tourism in illegal apartments, we want tourists who are completely legal, who stay in the city, who invest as much as possible in the city and, above all, who respect the city”said Catalá.

According to the mayor, the strategy is starting to produce results. The length of stay of tourists in the city has increased and the authorities claim that the profile of visitors is improving.

Among the measures adopted by the municipality is the unlocking of licenses for top hotels, which the mayor says are part of the strategy to attract tourism with greater economic value.

Almost 1,000 tourist apartments were closed

One of the main problems facing Valencia is the development of tourist apartments. Catalá claims his administration has passed an ordinance on tourist apartments considered one of the most restrictive in Spain. Its application would have led to the closure of approximately 1,000 tourist apartments.

A new ordinance for tourists and locals

Starting in 2027, the tourist apartment ordinance will be supplemented by the new civic behavior regulation. The two normative acts will be used by the municipality to control both the operation of tourist accommodation units and the behavior of people visiting or living in the city.

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The new ordinance will aim to regulate several “uncivilized behaviors” that affect the daily lives of residents.

Among the examples given by the mayor is the use of unauthorized fireworks during the Fallas festival, one of the most famous events in Valencia.

“We want a tourism that respects the city and its inhabitants”, Catalá transmitted

The strategy of the local administration does not aim at the disappearance of tourism, but at changing its profile.

“We don’t want more tourists, we want better quality”, emphasized the mayor.

Catalá claims that Valencia has reduced the number of cruise ship passengers, decreased the number of unregistered tourist apartments and increased the average length of stay of visitors.

The objective is for tourists to spend more time in the city, spend more in the local economy and respect the rules of coexistence.

“People need to understand that they don’t come here to disrespect the local community,” concluded María José Catalá.

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