'It'll be grand' - Irish tourists ignore 'go home' protest amid Spain holiday rush

Irish people are still flocking to Spanish hotspots like Lanzarote and Majorca despite local protests there against perceived over tourism.

In the past few weeks, there has seen a 70% increase in Irish bookings to much loved Spanish destinations despite activists vowing to “wreak havoc” on mass tourism.

On the Beach, the package holiday experts, revealed that holidays to Majorca have seen a 300% increase and holidays to Lanzarote have seen a 150% increase, showing that Irish holidaymakers are ignoring protests and continuing to book holidays to their favourite hotspots.

Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach said: "Since our launch in Ireland last Summer, we’ve quickly discovered that Irish holidaymakers have a sweet spot for Spain, as it consistently claims the top spot for bookings. So despite the news of the protests, it seems this is not enough to deter those seeking some summer sun, in fact, we’re seeing the opposite with booking numbers rising by 70% in the past few weeks.

"To reassure those booked to travel or thinking of going, we know local business owners and hoteliers that are encouraging Irish tourists to book holidays, stating they are more than welcome in Spain and the Canaries.”

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According to reports, anti-tourism activists have promised to wreck havoc across Spain this summer as they ramp up their campaign against holidaymakers by blocking beauty spots and causing disruption ahead of a planned international summit to discuss protest tactics.

Visitors to the party paradise of Ibiza were left disappointed last month after a popular viewing point was dramatically blocked off with boulders in the latest sign of growing local resentment towards mass tourism.

The famous Es Vedra viewpoint, where thousands gather to watch the sun sink behind the mountainous island each evening, is now off-limits after frustrated landowners declared they'd had enough of being overrun by crowds.

Experts at On the Beach travelled to Spain last year to get a better understanding of the protests. Zoe Harris explains: “We sent a team out there to speak to locals directly and it turns out there is a lot of frustration with their own government, not necessarily Irish tourists.”

Some holidaymakers arriving in Tenerife are being met with anti-tourist graffiti but according to On the Beach, interviews with Tenerife locals paint a different picture.

Restaurant owners, bar staff and hotel owners are welcoming more tourists to the island as they say they love them coming over. According to some of the Spanish locals it’s not the Irish that they are unhappy with, it’s landlord greed and their own government, who have done little to stop the ever-increasing cost-of-living crisis on the island.

According to On the Beach, Lanzarote, Majorca and Costa Brava are currently in the top five most booked destinations this year and bookings will only heat up as we approach summer.

Zoe Harris said: “As we approach the peak holiday season, we anticipate even more Irish holidaymakers will be booking their Spanish getaways, with tens of thousands set to secure their spot in the sun.”