The Easter break is similar to the Community Shield of the holidays - or perhaps the Queen's Club Championship, or the Baftas - in that it offers a glimpse of what we can expect from the upcoming main event.
Fortunately, there was no repeat of last year's travel chaos caused by strike action, both at home and abroad. But after the Easter holidays we now have a clearer picture of where tourism problems will focus this summer, with protests, drought measures and airport queues set to affect British holidaymakers across the continent.
There are still 100 days to go before the school holidays - a lot can and will happen before then - but let's take a look at the five key themes that have emerged so far and consider how they could impact your holidays.
A swimming pool ban in Spain?
Spain is experiencing its worst droughts in 200 years, with Catalonia facing particularly severe water shortages. The Sau Reservoir, east of Girona, once attracted tourists for its submerged church and village, but these are now fully visible above the waterline: a symbol of what Catalan President Pere Aragonès has called 'the new climate reality'.
Drought is also affecting Italy and especially Sicily, which suffered severe forest fires during the 2023 summer season. This interactive map from the European Drought Observatory highlights the scale of the problem.
In Andalusia, municipalities on the Costa del Sol and the city of Malaga have banned private swimming pools from being filled with tap water, meaning they must be filled with spring water or groundwater instead. This also applies to tourist rentals, although hotels and sports centers are exempt from the rule for the time being.
The result for holidaymakers heading to Spain this summer? There is a risk that your pool will be filled with non-tap water, requiring filtration (24 to 72 hours) before it can be used. Some swimming pools may close completely. You'll also likely have to wait before heading home from the beach before you can let sand run off your body, as public water taps have been turned off across the country.
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Some property owners in southern Spain fear holidaymakers will cancel if use of a swimming pool is not guaranteed. Samantha Austin, whose company manages around 50,000 tourist apartments along Spain's south coast, told the local newspaper: The Sur in English: "I have many clients waiting to hear from me while they decide whether to come or not. If there is no swimming pool, they will change destination this year. There are cancellations and there will be more."
Long queues at popular airports
British holidaymakers complained about long queues at Palma de Mallorca airport. A family returning to Manchester Airport told the Mallorca Daily Bulletin that they waited in line for two hours to go through security checks and passport control. This happened after waiting half an hour for their passports to be stamped upon arrival. Tui and Jet2 warned passengers that they may have to wait longer than normal due to maintenance and a suspected 'work-to-rule' policy, when staff do the minimum amount of work required under their contract.
In Faro, British holidaymakers reported lengthy delays passing through security checkpoints. Yvette Hughes posted on X: "What the hell is going on. Three and a half hours in line at security." She suggested passengers had not received information about the cause. Another, Parson James, said he had waited three hours to get through customs on arrival, and football broadcaster Jeff Stelling also posted on X complaining about staff shortages and e-gates not working.
A lot can change at these airports between now and the summer, so the above should not be a serious cause for concern for people traveling to the Algarve or Mallorca. Something to be aware of, however, is that the upcoming change to the 100ml liquids rule may cause some confusion for outbound passengers. This comes as some UK airports have been given a June 1 deadline, while others, such as Gatwick and Heathrow, have extensions until 2025.
Faro Airport. Not enough staff, electronic gates not working. People remained stuck for more than 3 hours and did not move. Happy Easter. pic.twitter.com/PuCP6fPDKn
- Jeff Stelling (@JeffStelling) March 31, 2024
Locals live in caves and cars
Activists in Tenerife say locals are forced to live in their cars - or in some cases in caves - due to the cost of living crisis perpetuated by mass tourism. Ivan Cerdena Molina from the Tenerife Friends of Nature Association (ATAN) told the story Olive Pres s: "We have nothing against individual tourists, but the industry is growing and growing and consuming so many resources that the island cannot cope.
"It is a crisis, we urgently need to change things. People live in their cars and even in caves, and the locals cannot eat, drink or live well. The benefits of the industry are not trickling down to ordinary people, whose salaries have not increased in years. The quality of life here is deteriorating."
There have been similar complaints in Ibiza, where local professionals have resorted to living in their cars due to the rise in housing costs, but also in Santorini.
"In Ibiza, accommodation is very expensive, and it is getting more and more expensive," chef César Nebrera told the BBC. "And the cost of renting is completely out of proportion to what you earn. So living like this is an alternative. It is less comfortable, but it ensures that I can continue to live on the island." Other locals live in tents or simple shared accommodation to make ends meet.
It's an issue British tourists should be aware of this summer when talking to workers on the Spanish islands; your friendly chef, waiter or hotel porter may be staying in much simpler accommodation than you.
'Tourists go home'
The problems caused by mass tourism, including the aforementioned cost of living crisis, are bringing some islands to a tipping point. Protests are planned on April 20 in five of the eight Canary Islands (under the banner of "The Canary Islands have a limit"), where activists will call on the government to curb tourism growth and introduce a more sustainable model of tourism that benefits residents and the environment.
In Malaga, protest groups placed stickers on tourist accommodations ahead of the Easter holidays with the text 'Go ****ing Home', plus phrases such as 'a family used to live here', 'this used to be my house' and 'stinks like home'. tourists". Amsterdam recently relaunched its Stay Away campaign, aimed at keeping rowdy British stag groups away from the city.
British tourists can expect more of this as the summer season approaches and anti-tourism sentiment increases in key holiday destinations on the continent. Don't be surprised if more protests are planned in July and August.
Problems on home soil
On home soil, there were several examples of British tourists getting it a little wrong in beautiful places. On the south coast, tourists were seen posing for photos inches from the cliff edge at Birling Gap. Pictures also emerged from Snowdon showing a host of walkers winding their way to the top of Wales' highest mountain to capture the perfect photo. This is a rising trend in the national park, where mountain rescue services have complained about groups trying to climb to the top in high heels.
There were also a number of examples of British passengers causing problems on planes during the Easter holidays. One man made an emergency landing on a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Alicante after drinking a bottle of Disaronno. Another flight from Manchester to Dalaman was forced to divert to Serbia, where an unruly passenger was filmed being removed by police. Don't be surprised if more posts like this appear in late spring and summer, as stag season kicks off in destinations like Prague, Krakow and Ibiza.
