1. Tourists not wanted: This is certainly not the case. Mallorca welcomes all tourists with open arms and wants them to enjoy their stay as much as possible. Nothing has changed, tourism is our main source of revenue.
2. Demonstrations against tourism. A series of protests are being planned against tourism but they are not against tourists but failed government policies which have seen the number of tourists coming to the island increase dramatically but at the same time the necessary facilities are not in place such as more roads etc.
3. Too many tourists. Like I say in point 2 there is a school of thought on the island that there are too many tourists at peak times but it is not the tourists who are being blamed but government policy from successive administrations. There is also a shortage of affordable housing with tourists and foreign resident being blamed, by some, for pushing up prices. This is a question of demand and supply but at the end of the day the majority of foreigners who do buy properties on Mallorca are spending in excessive of one million euros, far too expensive for the majority of local residents so non-Spaniards can't really be blamed for a lack of housing. It is the fault of successive governments who have failed to provide cheap housing for residents.
4. We don't want unruly tourists. Well of course and this is one of the reasons why various councils and the Balearic government have introduced restrictions on the sale of alcohol in some of the more popular resorts. These laws benefit all, residents and tourists alike, who want to enjoy the island rather than suffer the bad behaviour of a small minority of some of their counterparts.
5. Brits are no longer wanted. This is far from the case and the British are a key market not just for Mallorca but all the Balearics islands. Just last month the Calvia council (Magalluf, Palmanova, Santa Ponsa) staged the Saint George celebrations to thank English tourists for their support.
6. Are the protests at the tourist industry across the board. No, we are still talking about a relatively small percentage of the population. Most people realise that our main source of insome is from tourism and every tourists is needed and should be welcomed. There has been talk of protests against the tourism industry for many years.
7. Fewer tourists spending more. The dream of any holiday resort across the planet. Unfortunately this is no easy task.
8. Should we come on holiday to Mallorca? Yes of course, you will find a warm welcome for you in all the resorts across the island. Nothing has changed.
9. Too many cars on the road. Yes, there is gridlock on many key roads but this is as a direct result of a massive increase in car ownership among local residents. Rent-a-cars are being blamed by some but these claims do not really hold water because there is gridlock during the low season when there are fewer tourists.
5 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
1. Tourists not wanted: Some are saying that. Mainly small fringe political wannabees looking for a mission. 2. Demonstrations against tourism. They'll demonstrate about anything they've been wound up about. You can blame anything on tourism (or rich people or foreigners or ...ostriches) That doesn't mean it's true. 3. Too many tourists. In some places yes, in other places no. 4. We don´t want unruly tourists. We and everybody else. See #7 below. 5. Brits are no longer wanted. The only ones saying this are Brits (well, British tabloids). But it's important to be aware that Brits aren't the dominant tourist nationality, and with or without Brits, it won't make much difference. It's indifference, not anti-britishness. 6. Are the protests at the tourist industry across the board. No, it's a handful making a lot of noise. 7. Fewer tourists spending more. That's not really an accurate depiction. Attracting a better quality of tourist is more accurate. That generally requires offering a higher standard, which costs money. That naturally sends a lot of common tourists to other destinations. Still, it's not a bad strategy. 8. Too many cars Yes, there's few places in the developed world that doesn't suffer from this. Blaming it on tourists won't solve the problem.
John PittsJohn, according to the local trade, building affordable housing is not profitable with the current cost of materials, land and more importantly, lack of labour. The local youth no longer want to work in the trade so that means importing it, which means making the accommodation problem even worse, not to mention other things. Last year, Sanchez promised to build at least 185.000 apartments a year. Then he got elected.
Someone needs to look at this from a ‘reverse engineering’ perspective. How does a worker entering the Tourism sector secure well paid work and conditions with a year- round contract that will pay for good quality accommodation and a good quality of life? And how can bed space management be regulated to avoid destroying local communities by an over proliferation of party houses in former peacful neighbourhoods. Tinkering with laws will amount to nothing if the work is still underpaid, insecure and no one listens to the communities that want to retain a sense of belonging and peaceful existence. The free market if allowed it’s own way will turn every community into a bland, Disney experience that will please no one.
On the housing issue, would you consider any merit in having a, say 5 year, moratorium on building housing with a value of over, say, €250 000 per household unit? This would force all builders to build homes for local people rather than large villas for the foreign wealthy. As far as i understand, the lack of affordable housing being built is not just down to policy but also the lack of building companies willing to build. Furthermore if they can only build for locals, the building companies will put massive pressure on the gov to deliver housing sites and schemes
I agree with all the points in 0this Article. REMEMBER THIS PHRASE FROM THE PAST ? " A TOURIST IS A FRIEND "