IT’S a great feeling booking a summer holiday and then counting down the days until you can relax by the sea, eat foreign delicacies and mingle with the locals.
But now thousands of protesters on the Balearic island of Majorca have made it very clear they no longer even want me — or you — there because tourism-phobia has taken over and they want us all out.
There is “tourists go home” graffiti daubed on walls and foreigners have been sneered at during huge protests.
Locals have even threatened to block the island’s airports and protest outside hotels to drive us out.
The activists are even calling for protesters to “occupy” the island’s beaches to squeeze out the tourists.
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They are furious that so many “bad tourists” flock to their island and take over, partying all night and buying up homes they can no longer afford. Their message has been crystal clear.
The result? Many tourists have retreated and gone elsewhere.
And I don’t blame them.
Rows of sunbeds that vendors can usually rent out for up to £60 a day during high season sit empty on the beaches.
Bars and restaurants normally flooded with Brits during half term are deserted and the once-bustling resorts are like ghost towns.
Perhaps some of those moaning Majorcans should have been careful what they wished for, because their stroppy Spanish outburst is about to hit them where it hurts.
Tourism was last year estimated to be worth 164billion euros to Spain’s GDP, and in Majorca it is the main contributor to their economy.
Nearly 12million tourists visited the island in 2023 and the latest figures from the Balearic Institute of Statistics puts average spending per stay by foreign visitors at 1,128 euros.
Without that cash flooding in from abroad, their island economy could go back to relying on farming and basket weaving.
It’s not only the Majorcans who are protesting.
Since the Sixties, when Spanish holiday packages really took off, many residents have been able to create booming businesses and laugh all the way to the bank.
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Obviously it has come with a downside and I sympathise with them.
Islanders have seen some of their towns turn into notorious all-night partying destinations, with excessive drinking and stag and hen dos taking over.
Spending hard-earned cash on a holiday is one of my biggest treats of the year, and I don’t want it ruined by protests about issues that are the responsibility of the Spanish authorities, not the tourists
Jane Atkinson
This week alone, eight British tourists ended up in court following an alleged drunken stag do clash with waiters.
None of us would want to live among that.
And it is not only the Majorcans who are protesting. Those on the island of Ibiza and in the Canary Islands are too.
Now the government is trying to clamp down more severely on boozing in some of the notorious party zones such as Magaluf and Palma in Majorca, along with San Antonio in Ibiza.
But as far as I’m concerned, it is too little, too late.
If protesting locals in Majorca want to treat us all like unruly tourists, they will be cutting off their nose to spite their face.
Spending hard-earned cash on a holiday is one of my biggest treats of the year, and I don’t want it ruined by protests about issues that are the responsibility of the Spanish authorities, not the tourists.
This gringo has said “hola” to Majorca for the last time.
And I bet I’m not the only one.
Make faking Geri a party wannabe
SOCIAL media users found Geri Horner’s post on social media wishing Mel B a happy birthday amusing.
I found it disgusting.
Geri shared a series of photos on Instagram of herself with fellow Spice Girl Mel, above, to mark her 49th birthday.
But it was clear that Geri had instructed her social media manager, Pippa, to share the post because the caption included instructions, presumably given by Geri, which read: “Sent images to Pippa and this wording asked her to tweak where needed. Happy Birthday @officialmelb! Hope you have an amazing day!”
They may be bandmates with a lot of history but if Geri can’t be genuine and put the post up herself it stinks of just doing it to make herself look good.
Nobody needs fake friends. If I was Mel, I would scrub her off next year’s big birthday party list.
I REMEMBER when you would tell your kids that being a doctor was a great profession to go into.
Saving lives – it’s a job to be proud of. Or it was.
Now junior doctors are an embarrassment. Yet more of them are going on strike days ahead of the General Election.
But they have already had a pay increase of up to 10.3 per cent.
This is nothing more than using patients as part of a political game.
It’s a disgrace.
PRESENTER Ruth Langsford took to Instagram as part of a paid partnership with Tesco on Friday to promote their Finest Dine In Summer menu . . . for two.
Which presumably she signed up for before she decided it was going to be meals for one.
Where the Mel is she
THE Donald Trump criminal trial over hush money payments to Stormy Daniels is obviously one of the most shocking cases in political history.
But as well as the focus being on him and Stormy, I couldn’t help obsessing about another couple of key players.
Firstly, you’ve got Hollywood legend and Oscar winner Robert De Niro, who has appeared in countless films but for some bizarre reason as he appeared outside the Manhattan court he needed to read off notes instead of learning that simple anti-Trump script.
Then you’ve got the mystery surrounding the former First Lady Melania, who was missing in action.
Trump’s elder daughter Ivanka showed her support for her father with a heartfelt message after his guilty verdict.
But there was absolute stony silence from his wife.
Trump can’t stop spouting off ever since the verdict. But the one person I really, really want to hear from is Melania.
Oh to be a fly on the wall of Trump Towers.
Gino so sniffy
CHEF Gordon Ramsay has caused a stupid amount of controversy by creating a full English breakfast pizza.
It sounds absolutely delicious to me. Egg, sausage, bacon and black pudding with a sauce made from baked beans, tomato and Bloody Mary ingredients vodka, tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.
But one stuffy Rome resident called him a f***ing murderer and TV chef Gino D’Acampo said it was “outrageous” and “out of order”.
Bit rich from a bloke who got caught with cannabis in his bags by sniffer dogs at a UK airport when returning from filming with Gordon and Fred Sirieix. Now that really is outrageous!
Rishi's pint sighs
QUICK note to Rishi Sunak: Drinking lemonade from a beer glass is ridiculous.
Rishi was with Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride at a community pub in Exeter, Devon, on the campaign trail, when he raised the pint glass for the cameras.
Being healthy and teetotal should be applauded.
Trying to look like a man of the people by drinking from a glass purely meant for beer should not.
A rich vein of laughs
RICHARD MADELEY could be the answer to This Morning’s plummeting ratings. Hear me out.
He really doesn’t care what people think, which makes for entertaining viewing.
He has remained down to earth despite his long career and knows the job inside out.
On GMB this week he was hilarious.
Kerry Katona went on to show off her sparkling new nose after an operation, because she destroyed the first one by snorting copious amounts of cocaine.
Richard, quick as a flash, said: “Can I come over there and get a close look at your nose?”
Before she could tell him to back off, he had his head right in there, inspecting her hooter. It made for fun TV.
You can’t imagine Cat or Ben having the balls to do that, can you?
