Limits on tourism

Mass protest on Spanish island Mallorca calls for ‘limits on tourism’

Louis Mian

Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against mass tourism on the island of Mallorca on Sunday as pushback against holidaymakers in Spain continued.

The demonstration calling for limits on tourist numbers saw protestors carrying signs that read, “Tourists we love you when you don’t buy our land,” and “Your paradise is our nightmare,” while marching through the city of Palma de Mallorca, located on the south coast of the island.

Around 50,000 people took part in the protest on Sunday, which began at around 7 p.m. local time time (1 p.m. ET) according to organizers Menys Turisme, Mas Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), although police put the figure at around 12,000, RTVE reported.

The organizers claim the island’s tourism model “impoverishes workers and enriches only a few.”

They demanded an “alternative tourism model,” alongside “access to decent housing,” the “improvement of public services,” and the “conservation and regeneration of natural areas.”

Tourism pushback

The demonstration included around 110 groups and social movements, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.

It came amid growing tensions over the impact of tourism on local areas in Spain.

The Balearic Islands, made up of Mallorca, the largest of the islands, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, attracted 14.4 million foreign visitors last year, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.

Earlier this month, protesters demonstrating against mass tourism in Barcelona sprayed visitors with water and marched through the city, chanting: “Tourists go home.”

The Balearic Islands issued new rules banning drinking in the streets in key tourist areas on the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca, with an exception for terraces and other licensed areas, back in May.

In April, a hunger strike was called by locals in the Spanish Canary Islands, protesting against excessive tourism, which protesters said is pricing out locals and leading to environmental damage.