Foodie hotspot San Sebastian, which has seen its star power shoot up after being the subject of multiple television programmes with cameras regularly cramming into its tiny pintxo bars and Michelin-starred restaurants, is a good study in what happens when the producers come calling. Telegraph Travel destination expert and author of the cookbook Basque Country, Marti Buckley, acknowledges that it can be a mixed blessing.
“I think there are two kinds of foodie travel shows – those that truly respect and pay homage to a place and those that recycle the same old content,” Buckley says. “Despite the growth in tourism, locals still love to show off their city’s food, and a show like Anthony Bourdain’s, for example, is a source of great pride.
“There is the inevitable tension as prices rise and more hotels are built, but restaurant and bar owners here are quite tight knit and work together behind the scenes to encourage continued quality and to maintain tradition. Everyone is doing relatively well, which takes the edge of competition off.”
Its deeply embedded identity means a city like San Sebastian may be able to handle the increased attention, but as overtourism creeps in as a concern once again, other destinations may start to think twice before letting the cameras in.
