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The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Backlash against Mexico City gentrification echoes global anger at overtourism and rising rents
The protesters tore through the city chanting angry slogans and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake: shattered glass, broken doors and furious graffiti – 'get out of Mexico.' Some, dressed in black, smashed windows of local businesses. Others marched peacefully but carried signs with angry messages: 'You're a colonizer not a fucking 'expat''; 'Gringo go home.' The march, which took place in central Mexico City earlier this month, was an angry local response against a growing global phenomenon: Gentrification, which locals blame on foreigners who have flocked to the capital since the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of the capital say these so-called 'digital nomads' are taking advantage of Mexico's relatively cheap living standards but pricing out locals in the process. Making matters worse: a flood of Airbnbs have overtaken the metropolis' most desirable, central neighborhoods (more than 26,000 listings according to the Inside Airbnb advocacy group), replacing longtime residents with tourists and short-term renters. It is a trend that's been echoed around the world, in cites like Barcelona, Genoa and Lisbon, where tourist apartments have proliferated, turning long-term residents into a rarity and causing anger among locals who have seen their communities eroded. The protest prompted a sharp rebuke from the country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum. 'The xenophobic displays at this demonstration must be condemned,' she said during a daily news conference on Monday. 'No matter how legitimate the demand, in this case gentrification, we can't just say 'Out!' to any nationality in our country.' But many Mexicans were sympathetic to the marchers' anger. Watching the protest play out on social media from his mother's home in the nearby city of Puebla, where he was forced to move after being priced out of Mexico City, Daniel Benavides says all he could think was: 'Hell yeah!' A 35-year-old film editor, Benavides moved to the Roma Sur neighborhood in central Mexico City in 2016. Unlike the already trendy Roma Norte and Condesa, Roma Sur still felt like a quiet neighborhood, without the hip bars, restaurants and Airbnbs that had flooded other areas. It was also affordable. But slowly, things started to change. There was already one Starbucks – then another one appeared, followed by the American fast food restaurant Popeyes. Then came the quaint cafes and bars that all looked the same. 'They all had little incandescent lightbulbs held up by rope,' he said. Benavides also started to notice an influx of foreigners, mostly Americans. Soon, the rent for his apartment started to go up. First the landlord increased the apartment's monthly rent by 3000 pesos (£118) from one year to the next. Then he started increasing it by about 8% annually. Before long it had gone from 15,500 to 20,500 pesos per month (£613 to £810). Such an increase is relatively modest, particularly by Mexico City standards. Yahir Zavaleta, 40, was living in Roma Norte in 2012, when it was still filled with locally owned businesses and cafes. When his contract came up for renewal in 2014, the rental company wanted to nearly double the rent. Zavaleta and his roommate decided to leave. Cecilia Portillo, a 30-year-old designer, has lived in Condesa for three years. Recently, she told her landlady that she was moving out, but that a friend was ready to take her place. 'The rent is going to go up by 50%,' said the landlady, according to Portillo, who has also watched a flood of foreigners arrive in her building. 'We've seen that people are willing to pay that much.' Such dramatic price rises, particularly in desirable, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, are common in Mexico City. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2024 found that, over a 20 year period, average housing prices in the Mexican capital had quadrupled, without considering inflation. In the swanky neighborhood of Polanco, prices increased eightfold between 2000 and 2018. Yet the study's authors cautioned that 'the influx of digital nomads, which significantly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not appear to significantly impact the dynamics of housing access' noting that it 'may be too early to observe the full impact of these newcomers'. Instead, the study suggested that 'displacement and gentrification predominantly originate from government policies and politics.' According to Mexico's national statistics agency, Mexico City had the lowest rate of new housing built between 2010 and 2020 of any state in the country. 'Housing construction has practically stopped completely in the last seven years,' said Adrián Acevedo, an urban planner and housing specialist. 'If there is no housing, then the purchasing power of those few people [who can afford to live in desirable areas], whether it be a foreigner or an upper-class Mexican, will obviously push up the price of the few homes that are available.' The lack of new housing, and the resulting surge in prices, leaves many lower-income residents with nowhere to go: According to state figures, 23,000 families leave Mexico per year. In 2022, Benavides' landlord announced that he had sold the apartment to a French woman: Benavides and his roommates would have to move out. He managed to find a shabby place nearby for 14,500 (£574) a month where he lived for a year. But then the landlord said they were increasing the monthly rent by 500 pesos, and Benavides also found himself without a job. Benavides decided to move out but suddenly found that rental prices in his neighborhood had skyrocketed up to 25, 35, 40 even 100,000 pesos a month. His old place now seemed like a bargain. With no job prospects and rents unaffordable, Benavides decided to leave Mexico City and move back in with his mother. 'I pushed the emergency eject button,' he said woefully, adding that, particularly as a gay man, he still misses the capital. 'It's a beacon of hope – a place you can be free.'
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Backlash against Mexico City gentrification echoes global anger at overtourism and rising rents
The protesters tore through the city chanting angry slogans and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake: shattered glass, broken doors and furious graffiti – 'get out of Mexico.' Some, dressed in black, smashed windows of local businesses. Others marched peacefully but carried signs with angry messages: 'You're a colonizer not a fucking 'expat''; 'Gringo go home.' The march, which took place in central Mexico City earlier this month, was an angry local response against a growing global phenomenon: Gentrification, which locals blame on foreigners who have flocked to the capital since the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of the capital say these so-called 'digital nomads' are taking advantage of Mexico's relatively cheap living standards but pricing out locals in the process. Making matters worse: a flood of Airbnbs have overtaken the metropolis' most desirable, central neighborhoods (more than 26,000 listings according to the Inside Airbnb advocacy group), replacing longtime residents with tourists and short-term renters. It is a trend that's been echoed around the world, in cites like Barcelona, Genoa and Lisbon, where tourist apartments have proliferated, turning long-term residents into a rarity and causing anger among locals who have seen their communities eroded. The protest prompted a sharp rebuke from the country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum. 'The xenophobic displays at this demonstration must be condemned,' she said during a daily news conference on Monday. 'No matter how legitimate the demand, in this case gentrification, we can't just say 'Out!' to any nationality in our country.' But many Mexicans were sympathetic to the marchers' anger. Watching the protest play out on social media from his mother's home in the nearby city of Puebla, where he was forced to move after being priced out of Mexico City, Daniel Benavides says all he could think was: 'Hell yeah!' A 35-year-old film editor, Benavides moved to the Roma Sur neighborhood in central Mexico City in 2016. Unlike the already trendy Roma Norte and Condesa, Roma Sur still felt like a quiet neighborhood, without the hip bars, restaurants and Airbnbs that had flooded other areas. It was also affordable. But slowly, things started to change. There was already one Starbucks – then another one appeared, followed by the American fast food restaurant Popeyes. Then came the quaint cafes and bars that all looked the same. 'They all had little incandescent lightbulbs held up by rope,' he said. Benavides also started to notice an influx of foreigners, mostly Americans. Soon, the rent for his apartment started to go up. First the landlord increased the apartment's monthly rent by 3000 pesos (£118) from one year to the next. Then he started increasing it by about 8% annually. Before long it had gone from 15,500 to 20,500 pesos per month (£613 to £810). Such an increase is relatively modest, particularly by Mexico City standards. Yahir Zavaleta, 40, was living in Roma Norte in 2012, when it was still filled with locally owned businesses and cafes. When his contract came up for renewal in 2014, the rental company wanted to nearly double the rent. Zavaleta and his roommate decided to leave. Cecilia Portillo, a 30-year-old designer, has lived in Condesa for three years. Recently, she told her landlady that she was moving out, but that a friend was ready to take her place. 'The rent is going to go up by 50%,' said the landlady, according to Portillo, who has also watched a flood of foreigners arrive in her building. 'We've seen that people are willing to pay that much.' Such dramatic price rises, particularly in desirable, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, are common in Mexico City. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2024 found that, over a 20 year period, average housing prices in the Mexican capital had quadrupled, without considering inflation. In the swanky neighborhood of Polanco, prices increased eightfold between 2000 and 2018. Yet the study's authors cautioned that 'the influx of digital nomads, which significantly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, does not appear to significantly impact the dynamics of housing access' noting that it 'may be too early to observe the full impact of these newcomers'. Instead, the study suggested that 'displacement and gentrification predominantly originate from government policies and politics.' According to Mexico's national statistics agency, Mexico City had the lowest rate of new housing built between 2010 and 2020 of any state in the country. 'Housing construction has practically stopped completely in the last seven years,' said Adrián Acevedo, an urban planner and housing specialist. 'If there is no housing, then the purchasing power of those few people [who can afford to live in desirable areas], whether it be a foreigner or an upper-class Mexican, will obviously push up the price of the few homes that are available.' The lack of new housing, and the resulting surge in prices, leaves many lower-income residents with nowhere to go: According to state figures, 23,000 families leave Mexico per year. In 2022, Benavides' landlord announced that he had sold the apartment to a French woman: Benavides and his roommates would have to move out. He managed to find a shabby place nearby for 14,500 (£574) a month where he lived for a year. But then the landlord said they were increasing the monthly rent by 500 pesos, and Benavides also found himself without a job. Benavides decided to move out but suddenly found that rental prices in his neighborhood had skyrocketed up to 25, 35, 40 even 100,000 pesos a month. His old place now seemed like a bargain. With no job prospects and rents unaffordable, Benavides decided to leave Mexico City and move back in with his mother. 'I pushed the emergency eject button,' he said woefully, adding that, particularly as a gay man, he still misses the capital. 'It's a beacon of hope – a place you can be free.'
Euronews
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
As Mexico City protests mass tourism, here's how to visit responsibly
Last week, residents of Mexico City staged a fierce protest railing against gentrification and mass tourism. It was fueled by government failures and active promotion to attract digital nomads, according to experts, who said tension had been mounting for years. The criticism comes after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum alleged that Friday's protest was marked by xenophobia, reviving a debate over an influx of Americans in the city. Many Mexicans say they've been priced out of their neighbourhoods - in part because of a move made by Sheinbaum in 2022. As the Mexico City mayor, she signed an agreement with Airbnb and UNESCO to boost tourism and appeal to digital nomads despite concern over the impact short-term rentals could have. If you want to visit Mexico City and other destinations in the country, here's how to tread lightly during your trip. 'Gringo: Stop stealing our home' On Friday, a largely peaceful protest of hundreds of demonstrators marched through tourism centres of Mexico City with signs reading 'Gringo: Stop stealing our home' and 'Housing regulations now!' The frustrations were built upon years of mass tourism and rising rent prices in large swathes of the city. The influx of foreigners began around 2020, when Americans arrived in Mexico City in big numbers to work remotely, dodge coronavirus restrictions and take advantage of cheaper living costs. In the years since, choice neighbourhoods like Roma and Condesa - lush central areas dotted with cafes and markets - have grown increasingly populated by foreign tourists and remote workers. Holiday rentals see housing prices soar in Mexico City Protesters' cries against government failures were echoed by experts, who said that surging gentrification is a product of both a shortage of affordable housing in the city and the longtime government failures to regulate the housing market. Controls, meanwhile, have been marked by a lack of enforcement, which developers and travel services companies like Airbnb take advantage of, Antonio Azuela, a lawyer and sociologist, said. Today, more than 26,000 properties in Mexico City are currently listed on Airbnb, according to Inside Airbnb, an advocacy organisation that tracks the company's impact on residential communities through data. That's compared to 36,000 properties in New York City and 19,000 in Barcelona, where protests have also broken out. The result in Mexico City is that rent and living prices have soared and English has been increasingly common on the streets of those areas. Some groups have described the phenomenon as a sort of 'neo-colonialism." How to be a responsible tourist in Mexico City Rather than seeing Mexico City as off-limits, travellers should still feel welcome provided they visit in a way that benefits the local community. As a rule, it is more sustainable to stay for longer periods in a destination, rather than hopping from place to place. This way, you are likely to see more diverse areas of a city rather than joining the crowds at the big-name attractions. In Mexico City, there are a whopping 150 (or more) museums, so there's really no excuse for just sticking to the most renowned. For example, if you've already visited the National Museum of Anthropology, head out to the Museo de Sitio Xólotl. This on-site museum gives access to ruins at Tenayuca - reached on bus line 3 - with pyramids dating from the 1200s. Animal lovers can enjoy the National Biodiversity Pavilion (Pabellón Nacional de la Biodiversidad), which opened in 2022 and is dedicated to presenting and preserving natural Mexican biodiversity. There is also Axolotitlán, the Axolotl Museum within the Tarango Park, which provides a home to several of the protected amphibians on site. For art enthusiasts, the Olivia Foundation opened to much fanfare during Art Week in February last year. The exhibition space is principally focused on Postwar Abstraction by female painters. Travellers should note that visits are by reservation only. Best neighbourhoods to stay in Mexico City When it comes to accommodation, opt for small, ideally family-run hotels and guest houses. Big chains and all-inclusive resorts are more likely to employ non-resident staff who impart an 'international' atmosphere that some guests prefer. The local tourist board has several recommendations for walking-friendly neighbourhoods that make for a great base - instead of the historic centre or tourist-packed Roma and Condesa areas. Choose San Rafael for laid-back sophistication, eclecticism and a dynamic art scene or San Ángel, once a distinct town of gardens and orchards, for decadent villas and floral masterpieces. Coyoacán is a well-known neighbourhood thanks to the Frida Kahlo Museum, but the surrounding tree-shaded streets and market are quieter - plus the day trippers clear out in the evening. Xochimilco is a similar story. Visitors make a beeline for the eye-popping boats that punt down the canals. But stick to the streets and you'll find a Mexican Venice of bridges, alleys and canalside cafes - and an outdoor gallery of street art.
Irish Times
26-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Why did two Kerry politicians fight to protect Airbnb in the Kingdom?
'Another cup of tea?' asks Toni Sheehan from her spick and span kitchen at the back of her Killarney B&B. Sitting alongside her husband Danny, she smiles warmly and tells a story about how one of her guests looked and sounded exactly like Bing Crosby. 'He was fabulous. Ninety-three years old and every morning he sang a song for the two of us,' she said. 'We had to close the door on everyone else and I'd tell them: 'Listen outside the door, Bing Crosby is at it inside''. READ MORE As they chat about the characters they have encountered running Larkinley Lodge on the edge of town, it's plain to see their love for accommodating strangers. With 25 years of experience under their belt, the Sheehans represent one of the many cogs in the vast, lucrative tourism machine of Co Kerry. And like an increasing number of people in the Kingdom, they are finding success on Airbnb , the worldwide online rental platform. 'We absolutely love it. We thrive on it. It's a very positive platform,' said Toni. 'We've been on the website the last nine years, and we've never, ever, ever had an issue. Not an ounce of trouble. [Airbnb guests] are fabulous, they're respectful. They come in on time, they leave on time.' [ Nine times as many Irish properties on Airbnb as in long-term rental, charity says Opens in new window ] The couple also offer their seven rooms through Tripadvisor and direct booking, but Airbnb demand has grown consistently and the vast majority of their business now flows through the platform. They are not alone in exploring the online letting space, of which Airbnb is the poster child. Figures provided by Fáilte Ireland show that the number of online short-term lets in Ireland in November last year rose to about 32,000, up from 29,000 a year earlier and 26,000 in 2022. Of those, about 3,600 are based in Kerry, a number which has also steadily risen over the last few years. Data from Inside Airbnb, a grassroots project that tracks listings and rentals on the site, shows that Kerry is second only to Dublin city in the number of Airbnbs listed, with 3,004 units advertised. Two-thirds of these are either entire houses or apartments. The platform's popularity in the Kingdom, a county that relies heavily on tourism for the local economy, is a reason why two prominent Kerry TDs – Norma Foley, a Fianna Fáil Minister, and Independent Michael Healy-Rae – pushed back at the Government's short-term letting legislation that was introduced this month. The legislation was introduced by the Government in the hope that it would transfer a slew of these properties on offer to short-term renters into the long-term sector in an attempt to ease the housing crisis. There's no stock of housing left because there's more to be gained from the Airbnb platform than renting full-time — Danny Sheehan, Killarney Led by the Department of Enterprise, the new rules will introduce a national register of short-term lets, managed by Fáilte Ireland , which is to be in place by May 2026. This would restrict these lettings to properties with appropriate planning permission, while – crucially – increasing the enforcement of the rules. The restrictions would apply to towns and cities of more than 10,000 people, of which only Tralee and Killarney qualify in Kerry. They also ensure compliance with an EU regulation on short-term lets that was adopted in May last year. Introducing the Bill last week, the Fine Gael Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said he was aware of 'genuine concerns' in tourism circles about transferring units from short-term rentals, but emphasised that the Government should use 'every lever' to increase housing supply. Existing rules around short-term lets were introduced in 2019 and are tied to rent pressure zones, but they have been criticised for lack of enforcement. The new rules aim to tackle this by linking Eircodes with online listings, making it easier to trace the properties being leased out. Statistics support the Government's targeting of properties currently being leased on short-term rentals to tourists on Airbnb and other online platforms Fáilte Ireland estimates that more than 10,000 properties currently being let short-term could be appropriate for long-term housing. Housing charity Threshold recently found there were nine times as many Irish properties advertised on Airbnb as there were for long-term rental. [ Airbnb and other letting platforms could face millions of euro in fines in Ireland under new rules Opens in new window ] However, research by the think tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute, published on Friday showed a strong correlation between properties that were previously listed as holiday homes and those now available on Airbnb, particularly in rural areas. The ESRI concluded that there was no correlation between increases in Airbnb rentals activity and falls in new rental tenancies between 2019 and 2023 but that this 'does not mean that Airbnb activity has not had a detrimental impact' on the private rental sector in local markets, but it 'does not appear to be the root cause' of the falls in the availability of private rental properties nationwide. The research indicated that a mass transfer of listings to the private rental sector is unlikely, even with a push by Government. It concluded that it could not be assumed that shorter-term lets in rural areas would switch back to the private rental sector if Airbnb was not there. The ESRI report identified Kerry as an Airbnb hotspot. It found Killarney had one highest ratios of Airbnb properties to private rental properties with almost one property listed for every six private rental properties where private rentals account for about a fifth all residential properties in the Kerry town. Local politicians in Kerry have warned about the potential for the new rules to damage the Kingdom's prized €700 million tourism sector. 'Remember, Killarney is the tourism capital of Europe,' said Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae without hint of hyperbole. 'We know how to do hospitality in Kerry better than anybody else, and I think that that product has to be protected. 'This is the way I'd word it: [Airbnb hosts] are not the cause of the housing problem and they're not the solution either.' Mr Healy-Rae would like to see a grandfathering in of new rules, so that only new entrants into the short-term letting space would have to deal with the additional restrictions, while existing landlords wouldn't be affected. He said he was 'sceptical' that the proposed legislation would increase supply in the housing market, but added that he was open to listening to opposing views. 'The political answer to this is compromise,' he said. 'But if you and your family come to Kerry this weekend, I mean God damn it, if you don't want to stay in a hotel, and if you want to stay in a short-term letting, surely be to goodness, we have to be able to provide that.' Among Kerry's Airbnb hosts that the county's politicians are looking to protect is Dingle-based Máiréad De Staic, who runs local jewellery brand Brian De Staic with her husband. She rents out six places in Dingle – three apartments and three suites – in a renovated period building and two flats in the centre of Killarney, using Airbnb. 'I find it very efficient to be perfectly honest,' she said. [ Planned ban on Airbnb-type lettings in rural communities prompts concern Opens in new window ] 'I've it down to a fine art now. I check my calendar first thing in the morning. I send it to my housekeeper and the laundry people – and that's it like.' Máiréad said that besides the odd 'hitch' with people arriving late or other small issues, she has no complaints with the Airbnb platform. 'The demand is there, and definitely, 100 per cent it's growing,' she said, pointing to an increased level of trust among guests and hosts as the platform beds itself into the market. Máiréad De Staic rents out six units in Dingle, three apartments and three suites in a renovated period building, and two flats in the centre of Killarney, using Airbnb. Photograph: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus Such is her confidence that she is constructing another 10 apartments at the back of her period house on Green Street, for the express purpose of short-term lets. 'Because it's a Georgian building, it's going to be like a Georgian street, and they'll all have different coloured doors,' she said. 'I can't wait for it.' The De Staics hope to have the additional apartments finished by the end of June; Airbnb bookings make up the vast majority of their business. Airbnb hosts agree that long-term rental supply should be increased, but equally they see why more and more are opting for the US-based rental platform instead. 'There's no stock of housing left because there's more to be gained from the Airbnb platform than renting full-time,' said Danny Sheehan at his Killarney B&B. 'There are so many of them [Airbnbs]. I mean, I think every second house is doing it in Killarney, and in the suburbs, too.' Máiréad De Staic's Airbnb in Dingle, Co Kerry. Photograph: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus The Sheehans have also spotted more and more young people arriving from the train station lugging heavy suitcases. To Toni, this is a dead giveaway. 'You just know they're Airbnb [guests]. It's like a priest, you will always know a priest. You just know instinctively,' she said. As for why the booking website has grown so popular in the Kingdom, the Sheehans point to the county's long history of the warm welcome. 'Killarney embraces tourism in any shape or form. It's in our nature,' said Toni. 'People just put their hands around people when they come to Kerry.'
