What is Spain's so-called tourist ban? And is it really a ban at all?

Much has been made in the media lately of a so-called 'tourist ban' in Spain.

It comes after anti-tourist protests swept the country last year, with tens of thousands of people taking part, particularly in Mallorca, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.

Locals across these holiday hotspots cited rising rent and food prices, reduced housing availability, loss of cultural identity and the degradation of the environment as just some of the issues caused by intensive tourism.

The protests made headlines for their placards bearing slogans like 'NO TO MASS TOURISM' and 'TOURIST GO HOME' - and, in one extreme case, spraying tourists with water guns.

Now, one of the country's top tourist destinations has taken action to reduce pressure on its housing stock.

As of January 14, the city of Malaga began banning the registration of new holiday rentals across 43 of its districts for the next three years, according to Travel and Your World.

In addition, after February 22, any tourist flats in Malaga which do not have independent access separate from residential sections of buildings will have their licenses cancelled.

The move follows similar bans introduced in Alicante and Madrid - Seville and other Spanish cities are expected to follow suit.

Barcelona has perhaps been the most radical, announcing a plan last year to rid the city of all tourist flat licenses by 2028. It has not granted any new licences since 2014.

In Malaga's case, the council's goal is to limit the number of short-term rental properties in areas where they make up more than 8% of residential buildings - and to prevent overcrowding in these buildings themselves.

It is hoped that it will put a stop to the rising number of rental properties popping up in the city’s