Nigel has been in Benidorm for seven years (Image: Channel 5)
The so-called ‘King of ‘, has voiced his support for rumoured ‘three-year tourist ban’, amid concerns that he could be priced out of his adopted home.
Nigel Pope, 63, moved to the lively Costa Blanca town from Cornwall seven years ago following his divorce and has since become a local celebrity.
With his popular bar and engaging digital tours on , where he boasts 70,000 followers, Nigel has earned his regal nickname as British holidaymakers travel 900 miles just to meet him.
But now, the housing crisis in Spain, exacerbated by mass tourism and soaring rents, threatens to dethrone the ‘monarch’ from his beloved Benidorm.
The ‘King’ sought to clarify misconceptions about the ‘tourist ban’, telling the: “Spain’s alleged ‘tourist ban’ is not what it seems.”
He explained that it aims to prevent locals from being priced out due to tourism-driven inflation, adding: “I think its actually a very good proposal that will help us locals to be able to afford the low rents, as wages are a lot lower here than elsewhere in Europe.”
Nigel has racked up a huge following (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
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The controversial measure has already taken effect in Malaga, where new rental property registrations have been halted in 43 neighbourhoods by the Malaga City Council and Costa del Sol authorities.
Seville is set to join the ranks of Spanish cities clamping down on short-term holiday lets, a move that could make it trickier for tourists to secure such accommodations. Madrid and Barcelona have already taken steps to regulate these rentals, while Alicante City Council kicked off the year with a two-year moratorium on new licences for holiday properties.
However, Benidorm’s authorities have yet to announce similar measures.
Nigel Pope with his partner Nancy (Image: Nigel Pope)
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Local resident ‘King’ Nigel, who has been feeling the pinch of escalating rents, hopes Benidorm will take action too. He expressed his concerns, saying: “It has started to be a problem in Benidorm for people like myself who have to try to renew our existing rental contracts, so for me personally it is a good proposal and does start to tackle the problem.”
Despite this, Nigel harbours some anxiety about being able to afford his rent when renewal time comes around later this year.
BARCELONA, CATALONIA, SPAIN – AUGUST 15: Graffiti asking tourists to go home because of the overcrowding of people in the celebration of the festival of the neighborhood of Gracia, on 15 August, 2023 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The Festa Major de Gracia starts today and lasts until August 21 with 23 decorated streets and more than 900 activities. In these popular festivities you can enjoy concerts, dances, castelleras exhibitions, giants and big heads, correfocs of devils and fire dragons, bastoners, trabucaires and other festive and religious events, such as the mass in honor of Our Lady of Grace. (Photo By Lorena Sopena/Europa Press via Getty Images) (Image: Europa Press via Getty Images)
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez weighed in on the issue, highlighting a disparity in taxation: “It isn’t fair that those who have three, four or five apartments as short-term rentals pay less tax than hotels or workers.”
Nigel, along with his partner Nancy, whom he met seven years ago upon relocating overseas, are well-known figures in their community. Yet, with living costs on the rise, their future remains uncertain.
Questions are swirling about whether the Spanish government’s newly unveiled strategy can salvage the fortunes of Benidorm’s ‘King’ and his band of steadfast followers. Nigel responded: “I am hoping to renew my 10 year contract later in the year. I want to stay where I am, but we have been a little concerned by how much our rent will rise..”