Spanish local moans Malaga 'feels like foreign country' as tourist tensions rise

Stallholders at the Atarazanas Market have hit-out at tourists (Image: Getty)

A Spanish local moaned that Malaga “feels like a foreign country” as he hit back at the number of tourists in the city. The popular city welcomes around 14.4 million tourists every year.

But it has left locals feeling as though there is nowhere for the Malagueños to go. One stallholder at the legendary Atarazanas Market claims that around 70 per cent of the people who pass through its door are visitors to the city.

Traders in Malaga says the city is 'aimed at foreigners' (Image: Getty)

And while that may seem like a good thing to the stallholders in the venue, fishmonger José Antonio, who has worked at Pescados y Mariscos Hermanos Castro for 45 years, says it hasn’t resulted in a boost for sales. He says a majority of visits just “wander around and go to the bars next door”. 

A far cry from the image people get of shoppers buying their fresh produce and weekly groceries from the busy market. José says the bars and restaurants in Malaga now feel as though they are “aimed at foreigners”. 

He adds: “You walk around Málaga and it feels like you’re abroad.”

José says the people who want to shop at the stall visit first thing in the morning. After that he believes customers are put off by the tourists, who spend their time taking pictures instead of spending money.

The stallholder says tourists in groups as big as 30 can block the market aisles and often touch his fish without permission, reports El Espanol. He claims tourism has “taken away all Malaga’s image”.

Jose and Antonio run stalls in the Atarazanas Market (Image: Getty)

José isn’t alone either, in fact, he is a one of the growing number of people with “tourism-phobia”. He is joined by greengrocer Antonio, who says he is also used to tourists pointing their cameras at his stall.

Antonio, who has worked at the Antonio y Salomé greengrocers for 46 years, says tourists “just stroll around, take photos, touch the produce without buying anything, and leave empty juice glasses wherever they fancy without asking”. Antonio claims they are “getting in the way of those who actually want to shop”.

The stallholder says he doesn’t want tourists to be banned from the Atarazanas Market, but thinks more could be done to help the traders. He would like to see a ticket system where visitors pay to enter and then get the amount refunded once they make a purchase.

Like José, Antonio claims the tourists in Malaga “don’t buy much” from the market unless they own holiday homes in the area. Instead he believes many want to try local restaurants or enjoy dishes that are seen as trendy.

Luckily for Antonio however, he says he has a “very long-standing customers and a select clientele” that purchase his exotic fruits and vegetables. However, he says those selling wares such as onions and tomatoes are “hit much harder” by visitors unwilling to spend.