The well-known boiling frog metaphor, which illustrates the inability to react to problems that gradually intensify, is now being applied to the economic situation of the Costa Brava. While the sector celebrates the arrival of more cruise ships and an increase in off-season visitors, voices are emerging that question whether this strategy truly diversifies the economy or, on the contrary, accentuates its tourism dependence.
The idea that extending the tourist season is equivalent to diversifying the economy is increasingly accepted. However, this view could be misleading. Extending the presence of tourists throughout the year does not reduce the sector's dependence, but simply prolongs it for more months, without addressing the need to promote other productive sectors that could offer greater stability and a more solid future for the territory.
“"Extending the tourist season does not mean reducing dependence on tourism. It simply means depending on it for more months of the year."
The continuous increase in the number of tourists, even if better distributed throughout the year, does not solve the fundamental problem of excessive reliance on a single economic activity. This situation can lead to a point where the tourism sector itself can no longer meet the basic needs of the territory, such as access to housing, decent wages, quality public services, or the quality of life of permanent residents.
The key question, then, would not be how to attract tourism for more months, but what will happen when it is confirmed that decades have been spent heating the water without having built real and sustainable economic alternatives.
