- 15,000 people took to the streets of Palma last week to protest against mass tourism
Anti-tourist protests in Mallorca are deterring tourists from visiting the island, a survey by a local news website has revealed.
a survey conducted by the Mallorca Daily Bulletin found that around 44 per cent of people will think twice before booking a holiday to the popular island following major protests against mass tourism.
Fortunately for the tourism industry, about 55 percent of the more than 650 respondents said they were not deterred by activists, who are calling for more affordable housing and fewer vacation homes.
Businesses are reportedly worried about whether enough tourists will come to the island this summer, and protesters have been warned to “be careful what you wish for” by asking them to stay away.
It comes after around 15,000 locals took to the streets of Palma last week, with one British tourist telling MailOnline she felt “intimidated” as protesters told tourists to “go home”.
Protesters shout at surprised tourists enjoying dinner and drinks in Palma
Protesters hold a banner reading ‘Mallorca is not for sale’ during a demonstration to protest against mass tourism and house prices.
Images emerged last week of empty beaches in the popular tourist resort of Magaluf.
As the summer holiday season progresses, protesters who have been campaigning against overcrowding are said to be planning more demonstrations.
The Palma protest was organized by the Banc del Temps, a group from the town of Sencelles, in the interior of Mallorca, which is outraged by the difficulties locals face in obtaining housing on the island.
After Saturday’s protest, Banc del Temps spokesperson Javier Barbero warned: “This is just the beginning. If measures are not taken, we will continue taking to the streets until we see action.”
There is concern in the tourism industry that the protests are having an impact on its influx.
Although the peak holiday season is still a few weeks away, Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that some resorts are “unusually quiet” for this time of year.
Last week, images emerged of empty beaches in the popular tourist resort of Magaluf, with one bar owner suggesting to protesters: “Your wishes have been granted.”
Other members of the sector would have said that the protesters are “playing with fire” for their rejection of mass tourism, on which the island’s economy largely depends.
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.
A campaign group, known as Menys Turisme, Mes Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), has suggested they could “collapse” Palma airport, which The Times said handled 31.1 million passengers last year.
The tactic, which was first proposed at a “citizens'” assembly in the Majorcan town of Sineu, also involves causing a traffic jam outside the airport.
“It is a proposal that has no place in a society like the one we live in today, a measure that is currently classified as a crime,” said Jaume Bauza, Minister of Tourism of the Balearic Islands.
The groups have also discussed the possibility of blocking the main port and other tourist spots, such as the beaches of Caló des Moro and Es Trenc.
Despite anti-tourist sentiment among locals and a crackdown on drinking behavior in hot spots like Magaluf, local authorities have repeatedly insisted that British and other foreign tourists are welcome on the island.
Great Britain is the second largest tourist market for Mallorca after Germany.
Despite the concerns of some in this holiday destination, the number of foreign tourists visiting Spain has increased this year.
Spending by foreign tourists also increased by more than 22 percent from last year during the first four months of 2024, according to the latest government figures.