Spain’s Hostile Turn: How Sánchez’s Radical Left Appeasement Is Driving Tourists Away

There is growing sentiment that Spain under Pedro Sánchez’s government has become less welcoming to foreign visitors, particularly British, Israeli, and American tourists. While tourism remains a cornerstone of the Spanish economy, political choices and rhetoric at the national level are shaping perceptions abroad. The Sánchez government, relying heavily on alliances with far-left and separatist parties, has amplified narratives that often align with anti-Western, anti-capitalist, and anti-Israel positions. This trickles down into the broader cultural climate and affects how visitors feel they are received on Spanish soil.

For British tourists, the tensions stem partly from Brexit and partly from Spain’s willingness to embrace European populist narratives that portray British holidaymakers as low-quality, disruptive mass tourists. Municipalities in the Balearics and Canaries have introduced tourist taxes, rental restrictions, and protests against “overtourism” that are disproportionately directed at the UK market, the single largest source of Spain’s foreign visitors. Israelis face hostility fueled by Spain’s far-left coalition partners who strongly sympathize with radical Palestinian factions, to the point of blurring the line between criticism of Israel’s policies and outright anti-Semitism. For Americans, disdain manifests in the form of anti-NATO, anti-US foreign policy rhetoric, coupled with a fashionable anti-globalization posture that paints American tourists as wealthy, exploitative, and politically suspect.

These are not merely isolated attitudes of activists but part of a broader climate shaped by government appeasement of radical left forces. By granting influence to anti-capitalist, anti-tourism, and anti-Western actors, Sánchez’s coalition has nurtured an environment where suspicion and resentment toward foreign visitors is normalized. What Spain risks is not only damaging its international reputation but also undermining one of its most vital industries. Tourists are highly sensitive to the feeling of being unwanted, and countries that actively cultivate warmth, hospitality, and stability—such as Portugal, Greece, or Italy—stand to benefit if Spain continues down a path of alienation.