British holidaymakers are warning that they may not travel to Spain this summer due to the increasing number of anti-tourism protests. Thousands have taken to the streets in the Balearic Islands to protest against mass tourism and overcrowding – despite tourism accounting for around 45 per cent of the islands’ gross domestic product.
One of the large-scale demonstrations saw almost 10,000 people parade through the streets of Mallorca’s capital at the end of May, carrying posters that read “SOS Residents” and “Enough Mass Tourism”. Demonstrators say holiday rentals are pricing locals out and affecting things like access to housing, water management and the economic diversification of the island.
A Spanish National police spokesperson said around 10,000 people took part in one protest in Mallorca, while protests also took place on the mainland – including Barcelona. People are calling for ‘sustainable tourism’.
Brits are now threatening to not travel to Spain for their holidays due to the ill-feeling on the island. Responding to the demonstrations on Facebook, a Brit sniped: “Notably the Spanish aren’t slow in taking holiday makers money though.” A second said: “All UK travel agents should cancel holidays to Spain, Majorca and Tenerife due to non friendly actions against their clients and possible court cases.”
According to BirminghamLive, another said: “Go to Turkey it’s very hot in August… cheap to eat and drink and very good value we have been several times and have never had a bad time the locals are friendly to you.
“We went out for a meal one evening and after we had finished we had a coffee and asked for a Brandy with it and they didn’t have Brandy and they sent out somebody and he came back with a Bottle of Brandy and gave us a glass each on the house. Give it a go you wont be disappointed.”
Javier Vich, who is the president of the Palma Hoteliers Association and CEO of the Summum Hotel Group, fears that fewer travellers will book holidays to the Balearic Island after reading reports of the protests. He said: “It is very difficult to build a destination and very easy to destroy it.”
“There are clients who ask at reception what is happening on the streets,” adds Mr Vich. “It is true that we have a problem.”
The Balearic Group of Ornithology and Nature Protection of Menorca (GOB Menorca) said on its website that it was protesting “the massification of , the problem of access to housing, water management and the economic diversification of the island”.
Another demo is scheduled for June 16 in Palma, with plans being discussed for protests across the Balearic Islands – Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera – on July 21. After Catalonia, the Balearic Islands was the second most popular region of Spain for tourists last year, attracting 14.4 million holidaymakers, the Spanish National Statistics Institute said.