Brits are fuming after Majorca residents claimed they're being "colonised by foreigners" sparking a heated debate on over-tourism. Stickers declaring "More tourists? No thanks", "Stop Tourism" and "Tourists go home - you are not welcome here." have been slapped on buildings across the island.
In recent months, locals all over Spain have taken to the streets to express their disdain for tourism. This May saw a massive turnout of over 15,000 protesters in Palma, Majorca.
Alicia Aguilo, the spokesperson for SOS Residents, an activist group stirring up protests in Majorca, spoke to Majorca Daily Bulletin about the widespread anti-tourist feelings in Spain, saying: " They started in the Canaries. Now I see that in Ibiza they are beginning to mobilise."
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She continued: "This is just the beginning. We will continue until politicians are willing to make changes. Majorca is being colonised by foreigners and greedy developers have turned the islands into a theme park for tourists", reports the Express.
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Popular tourist destination Palma, Majorca (Getty Images/Westend61)In June, another demonstration by Majorca Platja Tour rallied locals to reclaim their beaches by swimming and "enjoy them as before". A crowd of more than 250 people swarmed a popular tourist spot in protest, with the organisers proclaiming: "For one day Calo des Moro will belong to the Majorcans."
Yet, those against tourism in Majorca have been cautioned that their actions could spell "disaster" for the local economy, with industry experts warning that they "should be careful what they wish for".
Around 44 percent of Brits are now having second thoughts about jetting off to Majorca, according to a new survey by the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
May 2024, Spain, Palma: Locals at a demonstration against mass tourism. (Clara Margais/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)One defiant British holidaymaker has branded the island's protests as "completely hypocritical", given that tourism accounts for roughly 40 percent of its revenue. Zoe Kemp told The Sun: "They rely on tourists to survive. If you look around, everything is based on tourists.
"Places like Magaluf are advertised as cheap drinking holidays. We help the economy."
Yet, across Spain, locals are voicing their unease at being pushed out of their own neighbourhoods due to well-off expats, demanding an end to the rampant "touristification." In Malaga, visitors have been bluntly told to "go home," with a protest planned for June 29 in the Costa Del Sol hotspot.
Post-pandemic, Spain has become a magnet for remote workers seeking its cost-effective and sunny way of life. This influx, coupled with the fact that expats often out-earn the locals, has sparked feelings of displacement among Spanish residents.
The UK stands as Majorca's number two source of tourism following Germany, and fresh government stats show that tourist spending in Spain has soared by over 22 percent since last year.
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