Thousands of residents of Spain’s Balearic islands rallied against mass tourism, holding signs reading “SOS residents” and “Enough is enough, mass tourism”. Demonstrators took to the streets of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic islands’ largest, to air their anger at over-tourism. A spokesman for the Spanish National Police said the protest was attended by around 10,000 people, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, on the neighbouring island of Menorca, several hundred people took part in smaller protests.
“The authorities want to ban people who haven’t lived here for more than five years from buying property and to tighten regulations on holiday accommodation,” said Carme Reynes, who heads the Palma de Mallorca protest group.
Related article: Amsterdam bans new hotel construction to combat overtourism
Real estate agent Javier Carbonell said more than half of the rental properties are vacation rentals, making them unaffordable for locals. “We want to reduce mass tourism and increase sustainable tourism,” he said.
According to the Spanish National Statistics Institute, in 2023 the Balearic Islands will be Spain’s second most touristy region after Catalonia, receiving 14.4 million holidaymakers, while the Canary Islands will receive 13.9 million visitors.
Related article: Japanese authorities forced to close famous red-light district alley due to misbehaving tourists
Tourism is a major contributor to the Balearic Islands’ economy, accounting for 45 percent of gross domestic product, industry group Exceltur said.
In Ibiza, made famous by the OTT series “White Lines,” which is popular with South Asian travellers, around 1,000 protesters gathered to voice similar concerns about over-tourism.
“We want restrictions on new tourist sites and a ban on further construction of illegal apartments. Fewer apartments on the market mean higher prices,” explained Rafael Jimenez, spokesman for Pro Ibiza, the group behind the protests.
In early April, thousands of people rallied in the Canary Islands calling for temporary restrictions on tourism to counter a surge in short-term vacation rentals and hotel construction.
(With inputs from PTI)
