Behind the latest initiative of one of the most emblematic places on Spain’s tourist coast lies a very clear idea: no need for a “strong hand”, just remember the rules. The protagonists of the news are British tourists, with whom Spain has recently had a “strange” relationship. In the background is the more global idea of ​​the “bad tourist”, which many cities in Europe are trying to combat. Málaga has turned everything upside down with something as simple as a guide to behaviour.

You will come dressed. The news, announced by the City Council of Malaga through its social networks, leaves no room for doubt. In order to remind English tourists (and anyone who speaks Shakespeare’s language) of proper behavior during their visit, the city has put up billboards everywhere reminding them to wear their clothes.

This advertising initiative by the local tourism office began last Saturday and consists essentially of four very clear signs. All of them have the British flag and a message in English, along with a smaller Spanish version, summarized below: Dress properly, keep the city clean, sidewalks are for pedestrians, and don’t be noticed. I don’t think it’s necessary to delve deeper into what you’re looking for in each one.

The south coast and the “islands”. As we said at the beginning, almost all along the Spanish coast (especially in the south, in the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands) the relationship with British tourists has been known and well known for a long time, but for some time now it seems that this relationship is not going to progress at its best. A few months ago, the British press was attacking the water cuts in the resorts of Andalusia, and was also protesting the alleged increase in alcohol prices throughout the country.

On the other side of the coin, many national governments see a proportion of British tourists (without generalising of course) as the prototype they want to avoid with the so-called ‘tourist massification’. The Balearic Islands are considering extreme measures, including expulsion from the islands, fed up with the drunkenness and brawls in their streets, even going so far as to put up fake signs to prevent overcrowding in their bays.

Inside the story. If we stick to Malaga and the British, the story goes back to the 1970s. A legendary enclave on the Costa del Sol, the city has long been popular with British tourists and is being promoted even more thanks to low-cost flights to airports across the UK. As in almost all of Spain, people are looking for the same things: good weather, beaches and cheap prices to spend their holidays.

But things are changing, and not just in Malaga or Spain. Mass tourism, long embraced in southern Europe, no longer has much of a local following. The uncontrolled expansion of the sector is now frightening because it has turned to the most basic and essential areas of life, critical areas such as a home to live in at a reasonable price. Areas where expansion is literally impossible, such as the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands, due to the end-of-the-sea restrictions.

Back to basics. Time will tell whether the message from Malaga City Council will resonate with tourists to the region. The aim of advertising is to minimise the message so that it reaches everyone. This is not the first time this has been done. Last year, the city council announced that anyone found naked or wearing only underwear on the streets or in public spaces would face fines of up to 750 euros.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Spain, such as Barcelona, ​​the impact of tourism is being tackled more radically, with the “closure” of more than 10,000 tourist apartments in order to reduce rising costs, build housing and make the city livable for its residents. A few months ago, the Canary Islands took to the streets to protest the same thing, but they have not yet gone as far as Catalonia.

Image | Malaga City Council, GTRES

In Xataka | The Balearic Islands are so fed up with drunk tourists that they are now considering taking extreme measures. Without excluding any

At Xataka | While half of Europe celebrates tourist records, Amsterdam no longer knows how to stop them: “No new hotels”