GOB staged a protest against "massification" outside the tourism ministry last year. | Jaume Morey

TW
9

The demonstration against tourism "massification" that is scheduled to take place in Palma on 23 September has the backing of environmental organisations GOB and Terraferida as well as the former spokesperson of Els Verds (the Greens), Joan Buades, and youth associations.

The government parties - PSOE and Més - believe that the demonstration is unnecessary. David Abril, one of the parliamentary spokespeople for Més, says that the target for the demonstrators should really be Mariano Rajoy, who will be in Palma and is "the real adversary".

Abril, it might be noted, came into the Més fold because of his membership of the IniciativaVerds (also Greens, therefore). He adds that the government is pursuing a policy of changing the economic model of the Balearics by, for example, its holiday rentals legislation. He also points to actions taken by Palma town hall, highlighting this week's seemingly definitive blocking of the Fontanelles commercial centre development in Playa de Palma. These are examples of addressing "massification" complaints.

Andreu Alcover, a PSOE spokesperson, thinks that the demonstration is precipitous, given the measures that the government is pursuing. Marga Prohens for the opposition Partido Popular believes that the demonstration is meant as a test of the government's measures by the "ecologists".

Biel Barceló, the tourism minister, doesn't see it this way. It is not a demonstration against the government's policies but against "massification" and a tourism model that the government is working towards changing. He held a meeting with GOB on Tuesday and told them that the government is meeting most of the demands that have been made by the environmentalist lobby. These include a doubling of the tourist tax and establishing a ceiling on the number of tourist accommodation places.

Although the government has not made any critical statements, it will be disappointed that Podemos are giving their active support to the demonstration. But the government should by now appreciate the rules by which Podemos operate. Alberto Jarabo, the Podemos general secretary, says that the demonstration will act as a means of drawing the government's attention to the theme of a tourism model that enables "massification". The government, for its part, doesn't need its attention being drawn; it already knows.