Thanks to its picturesque scenery and abundance of beautiful clubs and hotels, Ibiza has emerged as a major tourist destination, attracting millions of people every year. 80% of the region’s economy is driven by the tourism market, but thousands of locals recently protested about the impact tourism is having on their residents.
Ibiza is an island, so naturally space is limited, and the increase in tourism and emphasis on visitor housing is creating problems for locals who live there and contribute to the community. On May 24th, around 1,000 people took to the streets, marching through popular tourist destinations such as the White Isle and other well-known locations, demanding a reduction in capacity and better use of resources such as water for residents. The movement, known as Prou Eivissa (Enough of Ibiza), was further defined by spokesman Rafael Jimenez, who said: “We want a limit on new tourist sites and a ban on illegal apartments. With fewer apartments on the market, prices rise.”
Housing is a growing problem as many of the workers needed to keep bars, clubs and hotels running find it harder to find housing and the cost of housing is soaring. A recent survey found that the shortage and rising cost of housing are driving more people to live in their cars or caravans. One teacher revealed that he flies from Mallorca to Ibiza 40 times a month because he can’t afford to live in the area.
Similar requests have been made by residents in other parts of Spain, including Palma and the Canary Islands, as tourist overcrowding has had a negative impact on locals, who appear to be pushed to the brink of poverty as millions of dollars flow into these areas while wealthy investors and vacationing individuals continue to build homes, pushing everyone else out of the housing market.
