I think this publication is the biggest supporter of the anti tourist movement, as I’ve said on many occasions in comments how many of the protestors” are wound up by social media? How many are Mallorquin as opposed to settled in the Balearics from the mainland for work in the service sector? How many of their lives are the better because of what they are protesting about? How March as the emergency services, hospitals and infrastructure improved because of the tourists money, When it comes down to it, forty years ago a waiter in the bar we always frequent (he’s still there), said all the building of hotels, bars, restaurants is no good because there will be too much. The government allowed it, the Councils allowed it, and the promise of quick money was the cause of the problem. The councils allowed the trashing of the beauty of the Island, Formentor and the resultant traffic problems, the beauty of Colobra trashed daily by buses, the splendour of the front of Palma Cathedral totally trashed by hordes of street sellers with sunglasses etc, every thing that’s good trashed by coach parks. That’s not the tourist’s fault for wanting to seek out the beauty when they are encouraged to seek it out. The hordes of people herded onto the cathedral daily, so many that the beauty of the building cannot be enjoyed, and the reverence of what it symbolises is shoved aside, people in shorts and “kiss me quick” t shirts…… really? A dress code please!!! If the tourists go what will happen to the resorts? Looking at pictures of the back streets of Palma some are sadly drug dens and slums. Will the likes of Arenal, Palma Nova, Magalluf etc etc come to the same fate if left with no holiday makers? Our last year, you’ve reaped what you sowed and we do not like being blamed for your leader’s allowing it, and the protestors reaping the benefits of what they’ve enjoyed and now moaning about it. Loved the Island and the people, we don’t like what’s happened to the Island, old photos of Palmanova compared with what’s now. The tourists didn’t build, create roads, trash the beautiful coastline. That was developers with Council backing. One day they’ll see that they been wound up by media and a few influencers on social media. It’s time people ignored these influencers, they’re being paid for their “views”.
Addressing the horrified comments below. When are you going to realise that calling for tourists to stay home or go somewhere else is NOT going to make 17 million people change their holiday plans. Many europeans going about their daily lives will not even know about protests. If they do then good. If 10 or 15% of 17 million change their plans that will be a benefit and a start towards planning a sustainable future for the Baleares. Because one thing is 100% certain. Uncontrolled tourism is a suicidal entity. It destroys the place that nurtured it and then moves on to find somewhere else to destroy. It has to be controlled and managed, something the protestors are crying out for. Anyone who thinks they want complete and total shutdown of the tourist industry is either mad or stupid and mad . It aint gonna happen. What will happen is a decent reduction in tourist numbers will give the visitors who come a better experience. They will broadcast that to friends and family and bingo the cycle starts again. That is tourism today .