A 69-year-old Irish living in the UK who has been visiting the “beautiful” island of Majorca since the 1980s has said “It is getting in the limelight for an awful lot of wrong reasons”, referring to its anti-tourism issues and recent protests.
“People come to the Island to relax and rest but a lot of visitors will now question are really welcome and wanted, taking into account the anti-tourism issues over the last few years,” they wrote in a letter to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
They warned that if the current issues surrounding tourism are not fixed, the island could lose “a lot of family and couple business if it continues”.
“They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, But… I think in this case there is.”
The wave of protests that have swept across Spain since the spring appears to have prompted many holidaymakers to think twice about their future summer plans. One potential tourist was said to have reconsidered a holiday in the country due to the perceived “animosity” created by the protests.
They wrote: “We have always treated local people with respect when on holiday, we don’t get overly drunk or cause any problems when in another country, but we will get this bad feeling, from the people of Spain also.
“It’s a sad situation, but nevertheless, one that may see us, never going to mainland Spain or any of the beautiful islands again.”
The first major protests in a Spanish holiday hotspot took place on April 20, when tens of thousands of residents in Tenerife, Fuerteventura and other Canary Islands took their frustration against issues created by over-tourism to the streets.
In early June, residents in the Balearic Islands followed in their footsteps and protested against over-tourism, including several hundred coming together to “reclaim” the popular Caló des Moro beach from tourists.
“The thing is we love Majorca, but the question we ask ourselves is does Majorca love us?” the UK resident asked.
Among the negative effects of over-tourism that have been the focus of protests is housing affordability, with residents arguing that the spread of short-term accommodations such as Airbnb has made housing unaffordable for local residents.
Other concerns include a declining quality of life due to noise and disrespectful behaviour of tourists and issues with the conservation of natural areas.
“Please sort these in-house problems out, otherwise the days of any type of tourism may have to return,” the Majorca tourist argued.