Protests in the Balearic Islands follow similar demonstrations in the Canary Islands
A demonstrator holds a sign that reads “rebels with out a house”, during a protest against mass tourism in Palma de Mallorca on May 25. REUTERS/Juan Medina
Thousands of people protested in Spain’s Balearic Islands on Saturday against mass tourism ahead of the summer season.
Holding posters reading ‘SOS Residents, Enough Mass Tourism’, protesters marched through Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the largest Balearic Island. About 10,000 demonstrators took part, a Spanish National police spokesperson said.
A smaller protest with a few hundred people was staged in Menorca.
“We want the authorities to stop people who have not lived here more than five years from buying properties and to put more controls on holiday accommodation,” said Carme Reines, from a collective which organised the protest in Palma de Mallorca.
Javier Carbonell, a real estate agent, said over half of rental properties were used for holiday rents and were not affordable for locals.
“We want less mass tourism and more sustainable tourism,” Carbonell said.
A demonstrator holds a sign that reads “rebels with out a house”, during a protest against mass tourism in Palma de Mallorca on May 25. REUTERS/Juan Medina
After Catalonia, the Balearic Islands was the second most popular region of Spain for tourists last year, attracting 14.4 million holidaymakers, the Spanish National Statistics Institute said.
Some 18 million tourists visited Catalonia and 13.9 million people visited the Canary Islands.
Tourism generates 45pc of the Balearic Islands’ gross domestic product, according to data from Exceltur, an industry organisation.
Today’s News in 90 seconds – 27th May 2024
Today’s News in 90 seconds – 27th May 2024
On Friday, about 1,000 protesters took part in another demonstration against mass tourism in Ibiza, one of the most popular Balearic Islands.
“We want a limit on new tourist places and a ban on more illegal flats. With less flats around on the market, it pushes up the price,” said Rafael Gimenez, a spokesman for Prou Ibiza which organised Friday’s protest.
In April, thousands of people protested in the Canary Islands, calling for a temporary limit on tourist arrivals to stem a boom in short-term holiday rentals and hotel construction that is increasing housing costs for locals.