town of Girona since 2019 say they fear being “black listed” as UK nationals and are afraid to speak in public after local activists called for a census of foreign residents amid a surge in anti-tourist sentiment.
“Among us expats, we have now called it a ‘black list’ for we are considered ‘rogue’ residents and tourists. Sounds like a dictatorship-style approach to over-tourism, if that’s what they’re against,” John said. Girona, where expats make up around 20 per cent of the local population of around 100,000 residents, is renowned for its stunning architecture, golden sandy beaches and as the backdrop for hit television seriesThe area is a hub for cyclists and more than 30 cycling businesses have been graffitied in recent days with slogans like “go home” and “enough with mass mass tourism,”“Just because of the misbehavior of some loud, crazy drunk Brit partygoers we are now all branded as ‘monsters’ that...
“It’s more of a social class war, rather than a clash between different nationalities and cultures. Many locals who follow far-right, populist groups in Catalonia, are mad that we get to buy the most gorgeous homes and come here to live the dream under the Spanish sun, where the cost of living for us, but not for them, is low,” John said.