Residents living in Spanish holiday Ibiza will become the latest to join growing anti-tourism protests across the country.
An activist group called Prou Eivissa (Enough of Ibiza) is calling on residents to take to the streets on May 24 and protest restrictions on tourism on the island.
This comes after similar protests have been seen in other popular destinations, such as Tenerife, where angry locals even went on hunger strike to express their anger.
In Menorca, graffiti has appeared on walls telling tourists to “go home”, while in Marbella last year even tires were slashed from cars with British registration plates.
A spokeswoman for Prou Eivissa stated that the group is “in no way against British tourism” but is fighting against the “type of tourism that attracts our island”.
Residents living in Spanish holiday Ibiza will become the latest to join growing anti-tourism protests across the country. In the photo: partygoers in Ibiza (file photo)
The Mediterranean island, along with its sister island Formentera to the south, is visited by millions of tourists each year.
“We are in no way against British tourism, on the contrary,” said Xaquelina Ana Perry.
‘We welcome anyone who wants to enjoy our local culture, gastronomy, local traditions, beautiful beaches and decks.
‘We are only against the massification of the type of tourism that our island attracts. “The island is saturated, especially with illegal rentals, and our 572 square kilometers can’t take it anymore,” he added.
The Mediterranean island, along with its sister island Formentera to the south, is visited by millions of tourists each year.
Although it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and although officials work to promote the island as a family destination, it is primarily known for its nightlife and electronic dance music club scene in the summer.
As a result, it has often had problems with its image and has gained a reputation for drug use and trafficking throughout the island, catering to party tourism.
In a statement, Prou Eivissa advocates for “a sustainable and balanced future for the well-being and growth of the local population in unison with a type of tourism that wants to respect and enjoy the diversities of this beautiful island.”
To achieve this, activists ask Balearic officials to introduce a law that limits the entry of vehicles, as well as a set of measures that guarantee “the maintenance of the tourism moratorium, incentives for hoteliers to reduce capacity,… .. ) protect residents and crack down on illegal rentals.’
‘We consider it essential to achieve a balance between residents and tourists, and therefore we believe that the legitimate expression of Ibizans can guarantee a sustainable future for all,’ the statement added.
‘We urge families, young people, adults or anyone who appreciates a respectful life and wants to be treated with respect, to come and make their presence felt so that the authorities really feel the pressure that makes us say: Ibiza can’t take it anymore! ‘
A man greets people on hunger strike during a demonstration for a change in the tourism model in the Canary Islands, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, on April 20, 2024.
Protesters packed Weyler Square in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, the starting point of a march on the popular British tourist island, on April 20.
It remains to be seen whether island officials will take notice.
Given the large number of tourists, the island of Spain earns a significant portion of its income through tourism and is therefore reluctant to crack down on it.
A hunger strike launched last month in Tenerife was called off late last month after 20 days because officials showed “zero interest” in their plight, strikers said.
Four of the six activists who stopped eating announced their decision on April 30 in the town square of La Laguna, located in the north of the island.
One of the six, who was not officially named by the Canarias Se Agota protest platform to which they are affiliated, accused the Canary Islands regional government of paying them “zero interest.”
But he told supporters at a popular assembly after taking his turn to speak, looking visibly haggard after his 20-day strike: “We are surprised by the social response and that is the best we can get out of this.” “I have a lot of hope for the future.”
Canarias Se Agota said in a message after the action was stopped: ‘This is the society we want. One who organizes and fights bravely to defend our land.’
And he adds: “We will move forward with determination and firmness until we achieve the Canary Islands that we dream of.”
The hunger strike began on April 11 in front of a church in one of the main squares of La Laguna. It was announced when it started as an “indefinite” strike.
Like Prou Eivissa in Ibiza, activists and their supporters said they wanted regional governors to adopt a more sustainable tourism model to combat problems such as pollution, traffic jams and a lack of affordable housing.
They also requested the stoppage of two tourism projects, including one that consists of the construction of a five-star hotel on one of the last virgin beaches in Tenerife.
Víctor Martín, spokesperson for Canarias Se Agota, which translates into English as “Canary Islands on the brink of the abyss,” said before beginning: “The hunger strike is indefinite and will continue until the two macro-projects we are fighting against are stopped forever. and the regional agreement agrees in writing to sit down and talk to us about a tourism moratorium.
“A tragedy could happen and someone could die if the government doesn’t listen.”
Just over a week after its start, on April 20, thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Canary Islands to protest against the problems caused by mass tourism and demand that their politicians take action.
The words “Go Home Tourist” were scrawled in English on a wall beneath a property development sign in Nou Levante, Mallorca, a neighborhood that has seen a massive influx of foreign buyers in recent years.
The protesters made their voices heard under the slogan: ‘Canarias has a limit’, which in English translates as ‘The Canary Islands have a limit’.
Last week the same words appeared painted in white on the asphalt of one of the access roads to Teide in Tenerife.
Another message painted on the road read: “Moratoria turistica” – “Tourist moratorium” in English.
Tenerife, an island popular with British tourists, has been at the front line of protests linked to the type of mass tourism it attracts.
Just before that, a prominent Tenerife politician urged British and Irish tourists looking for cheap, all-inclusive sun breaks to go on holiday elsewhere.
Carlos Tarife, vice mayor of the island’s capital, Santa Cruz, said tourists interested in staying in their hotels with their mandatory wristbands should book places like the Dominican Republic.
Graffiti in English left on walls and benches in and around Palm Mar, southern Tenerife, early last month included “My misery, your paradise” and “The average salary in the Canary Islands is 1,200 euros.”
In an apparent reaction from the United Kingdom, a response left in English on a wall next to the message “Tourists go home” read: “Fuck you, we pay your salary.”
The Spanish islands are threatened by sea pollution, traffic jams and a lack of cheap and affordable housing linked to rising property prices due to Airbnb-style holiday rentals.
Graffiti is seen that says ‘My misery, your paradise’ in the Balearic Islands
Canarias Se Agota has always insisted it has nothing to do with the graffiti that has appeared in parts of Tenerife in recent weeks and has accused regional politicians of blaming them for tourismphobia as part of a “dirty tricks” campaign.
The Mallorcan hotel director, Joan Pla, recently warned that the massive protests against tourism in the Canary Islands could be repeated in the Balearic Islands.
He stated that the problem is the number of houses built for local residents that are bought by foreigners as holiday properties.
And he complained that islands like Mallorca, where he lives, had to deal with the influx of too many people at certain times of the year.