Spain struggles to balance promoting tourism, which accounts for 12 per cent of GDP, with anger over rising rents, caused partly because landlords shift to more lucrative tourist rentals.

On Tuesday, January 14 measures designed to curb short-term holiday rentals in the Costa del Sol region of Spain came into force, in what has been described as a ‘tourist ban’. Covering 43 districts of Costa del Sol's capital, Malaga city, the measures limit the amount of accommodation available for tourists.

Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world and last year welcomed a record-breaking 94 million tourists. It’s a particular favourite with Brits, who made up the biggest proportion of visitors in 2024.