> that is a huge net benefit to everyone.

This isn't necessarily true though.

Honestly, the MWC doesn't bother me that much - yeah the metro always goes on strike but that's a problem with the metro unions and the Ayuntamiento not the MWC in my opinion.

But take the case of the cruise ships which do irritate me - every citizen gets to suffer worse air quality so a few can enrich themselves on the tourist money.

I understand that in theory that money might 'trickle down' to the citizenry at large, but it is far from obvious that this actually occurs sufficiently to compensate the downsides.

That money doesn't come for free. It's perfectly rational for people who don't directly benefit from a lot of visitors--but are inconvenienced by them--to wish to forgo both the visitors and the money they spend/taxes they bring in.