"The only thing coming home is you': Anti-tourist protesters in Majorca mock England's Euro 2024 loss to Spain as THOUSANDS take to the streets to demand Britain 'takes back its drunks'," said the Daily Mail. The Daily Express said "British tourists 'booed and jeered' in Majorca as Spanish rage at number of visitors." The Sun said HOLS NO ‘Empty hotels, no rental cars and no cyclists’ chant anti-tourist zealots as thousands storm ‘historic’ Majorca protest."
The Balearic government said they agreed with many of the concerns which had been expressed by demonstrators and that they were working on a new tourism model which would reduce tourism. Much of the business community echoed the government's stance saying that mass tourism was not the way forward.
But the Hoteliers Federation said that the government should be doing more to crackdown on illegal holiday rentals and claimed that this unlicensed offer was behind the "tourism saturation" which was being felt by many people on the island. They claimed that over the last few years more than 90,000 more illegal holiday places had come on the market.
There is concern that the protest, which made banner headlines across Europe, will also impact on holiday bookings. This summer Mallorca is unusually quiet.
Pere Joan Femenia, of Menys Turisme, Mas Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) which organised Sunday's protest in Mallorca, said protesters wanted less tourists on the island. "Mass tourism is making it difficult for local people who cannot afford to live on their own island because tourist flats push up prices. Tourists fill up beaches and put a strain on public services in the summer," he said.
"We want to cut mass tourism and to ban non-residents from buying houses which are just used for a few months a year or for speculation."
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Brits must be bloody important if these foreigners can successfully organise such a gargantuan anti-British protest. We all should be proud. Good job nobody else is that important, because then it would be reduced to just another average "anti-tourism" protest.
“Certainly not anywhere I've been to in Mallorca” Does that include Calvia ?
Bryan AdamsCouldn’t agree more but unfortunately the reporting has been of the same tone on the BBC, ITV, Sky and even Aljazeera. And in fairness to even the loathsome Daily Mail, what they are reporting is true
From my own sources the message is out there that visitors are not welcome. So, protesting people, you may just get your wish. Vacant hotels, deserted shops, restaurants closing and prices rocketing sky high as vendors struggle to make profits on reduced volumes of sales. Keep it up protesting people: you might just kill off the golden goose. It won't be the first time in history.
'This summer Mallorca is unusually quiet' Where is it ' unusually quiet' ? Certainly not anywhere I've been to in Mallorca. Certainly not at the airport or on the roads. So where?
Bryan AdamsWell it’s been running number 3 on the BBC news. Tourists don’t cause the issues that these people are protesting about. It’s the economic model the islands have chosen. A massive airport, and dedicated tourists towns. And the vested island interests that say to tourists Please Come here. Don’t demonstrate at tourists. Go talk to the people who run tourism. They’re your bosses and elected representatives. I’m sure they’ll help.
The Mail and Express - Stirring up middle Englanders since well before the Spanish Civil War. Read by idiots
What an absolute mess all round. The all inclusive hotel owners will never agree to less tourists as it will affect their profits and also put a lot of people out of work. The government will not be praising the protesters when they have to pay loads of unemployment benefits if such a thing exists in Majorca. The visitors that stay in friends private accommodation are the ones to be encouraged as they are the ones that spend big on hire cars, restaurants and local supermarkets.