Brits Explore Cheap 'New Ibiza' After Spain Hotspots Tell Tourists to 'Go F*cking Home!'

According to data analysts NATIV, tourism accounts for 83% of Ibiza's GDP. But, the cost-of-living crisis could see Ibiza empty of its usual party-goers this summer.

This news comes after reports that the Balearic Island may be replaced by a "new Ibiza" quickly becoming popular amongst British tourists.

With a whole town strip nicknamed "Bodrum Bar Street," the Turkish spot has built up a reputation for being a party spot for British tourists who would usually be booking flights to Ibiza.

According to Britons, Bodrum boasts 35-degree heat, better clubs, cheaper alcohol fees, countless DJs and affordable accommodation.

Compared to the average price of a pint of lager in Ibiza, costing £4.19, PintPrice says that a pint of lager in Bodrum costs just £2.24.

Travel search engine KAYAK also notes that travellers can find four-star hotels on the southwest coast of Turkey for as little as £22 each night.

With Magaluf, Malaga, Ayia Napa, and other Spanish spots ousted, Bodrum expects to see more than its usual five million tourists in 2024.

According to the Turkish yacht rental service Yat Kiralama, in 2022, Bodrum also welcomed a staggering 75,000 tourists by cruise.

Tourists also favour Bodrum due to its long-lasting summer weather.

Since the average air temperature ranges from 8 to 15 degrees in winter and between 25 and 35 degrees in summer, tourists can comfortably swim in the sea until the end of November.

For years, the Balearic Islands and the Costa del Sol region of Spain have been a go-to for tourists travelling abroad to party.

But enough is enough, locals have said.

Locals in Malaga, which sits in Southern Iberia on the Costa del Sol and the Mediterranean, have decorated the city with posters to protest the tourist takeover.

The Spanish city, one favoured for being Picasso's birthplace and its cobbled Old Town, has become famous for its clubs, foam parties and the best nightlife for students.

While some of the posters read phrases like "this used to be my home" and "this used to be the city centre", other locals have ordered travellers to "go f*cking home" and declared that the place is "stinking of tourists."

Dani Drunko, who owns the bar "Drunkorama" in Malaga, told local newspaper Diario Sur that he was behind the poster protest.

Drunko said that he used his favourite anti-tourist phrases, given to him by his customers, to build a range of posters to display all over the city.

The publicity stunt came after the bar owner was "kicked out" of his home by his landlord, who wanted to use the property as a short-term rental to tourists.

Drunko said he was shocked at the decision, considering he had lived in the apartment for over ten years.

"Málaga city centre has been going downhill for a long time, so much so that if, for example, something in my bar breaks, I don't have a hardware store on hand to buy anything, since the tourist who comes doesn't need to buy screws," he explained.

"There's a lot of hype because locals are tired of the situation; I just suggested the idea of ​​the catchphrases, I offered the spark, and now others have joined."

Politician Dani Pérez, who also works as a spokesperson for the Socialist Municipal Group in Malaga, has joined Drunko's anti-tourist fight.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Pérez wrote: "You walk the streets of Malaga, and it is practically impossible to find a residential building that does not have a lockbox [for tourist rentals]."

The politician criticised Malaga Mayor Paco de la Torre for "not lifting a finger for the people of Malaga" and "expelling them from the city where they were born."