Spain declared “war” on British tourists this week as it announced a swathe of new measures to tackle its housing crisis – but Greece, Portugal and France could now follow suit
07:28, 16 Jan 2025Updated 07:28, 16 Jan 2025
Spain has been handed boost as ‘three countries’ join it in ‘war’ on UK tourists
A crackdown on UK holidaymakers is set to be launched by Greece, Portugal and France as they join Spain in a bid to tackle their housing crises. The three European Union nations are following Spain’s lead, which has announced heavy taxes on foreign buyers looking to purchase homes abroad.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, revealed a package of 12 proposals aimed at providing “more housing, better regulation and greater aid,”. Now, amid a massive influx of outsiders, Greece, France and Portugal could follow suit.
Greece has already announced a sweeping ban on short-term rental licences in three central Athens districts due to “a lot of pressure on society”. Meanwhile, France has passed a long-awaited bill to tighten regulations on the short-term rental market.
Despite efforts to curb the rise of short-term tourist rents, the number of these holiday lets grew from 300,000 to 1.2 million between 2016 and 2024.
Mr Sanchez said that the new 100% levy would help “prioritise the availability of housing for residents” and accused the 27,000 foreigners from outside the EU who purchased homes in Spain in 2023 of buying the properties “not to live in them, but to speculate”.
He further stated that the surge in house prices is one of Europe’s “main challenges, adding that ” adding that “average house prices in Europe have risen by 48% in the last decade and it is unbearable.”, reports Birmingham Live.
This comes as Spain recently scrapped its Golden Visa programme.
Mr Sanchez pointed out last April: “Today, 94 out of every 100 such visas are linked to real estate investment… in major cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Alicante, Valencia or Palma de Mallorca that are facing a highly stressed market and where it’s almost impossible to find decent housing for those who already live, work and pay their taxes there.”
While Brits have long been seduced by the sizzle of Spanish villas for a steal compared to Blighty’s prices, these properties aren’t the “affordable” digs local Spaniards are crying out for.
With PM Sánchez revealing that non-EU outsiders snapped up a whopping 27,000 properties in 2023 for flipping rather than living, it’s clear the Spanish dream is turning into a nightmare for local homebuyers.
And let’s not forget our Greek getaways where, despite the love affair Brits have with Athens holidays, locals served up a stark reminder of their discontent last summer, daubing buildings with messages like “Tourists Go Home! Greek State Kills.”
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