From a sunny dream to a nightmare
Is Mallorca's tourism dream fading?
The island’s beaches remain a major attraction for visitors. | Photo: M.A. CAÑELLAS
Palma 09/05/2025 09:37
I do get the impression at the moment that Mallorca is living in a dream world which is far away from reality. The anti-tourism protests seem to be never-ending from Soller to Santanyi and what concerns me is that they will have an impact on tourism and holidaymakers will go elsewhere. It is as simple as that. Perhaps that is the ultimate goal of the protesters but it will have an impact on the local economy from jobs to wages.
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In PalmaThe protests indeed are not conducted by a majority. But it's funny you blame it on the "extreme left". There's no lack of those subscribing to the "right" that will happily blame the "left" for all the "foreigners" here. Most tourists are foreigners, so is the "right" equally anti-tourist? Or is the "right" selectively anti-tourist only with respect to the "wrong kind" of tourist (e.g., "foreigners")? I think it's pretty ironic and much too convenient to blame it all on one political ideology or the other. In fact, I say it's pretty gullible, since political ideologies inherently foster division to hide their own weaknesses... Just blame everything on the "other tribe'. It works... You clearly bought it.
Media has worked with people.avoiding Menorca and other areas in Spain. UK newspapers are saying hiw people are cancelling due to expensuve to holiday. TUI/Jet2 hotels have people but independent hotels/restaurants are quiet. Overtourism in Palma from the boats i completely understand as majority spend nothing, therefore, not contributing to the local economy, except docking fees For me 2025 is going to be a worrying year as I know I won't survive just on 6 weeks in July and August.
The recent demonstration in Palma with surprisingly low attendance shows that the negative tourist message comes from a small percentage from the extreme left. Unfortunately, two of your MDB journalists seem to belong to this group and publish negative anti-tourist articles almost every day. This is of course very regrettable (as you point to) with negative effects throughout Europe due to MDB being in English language and thus a source of reference. Think so wonderful it would be if MDB instead advocated more supply of housing for the increased population, less red tape, opposing the crazy squatting regulations preventive letting etc and most importantly: write about all the positive Mallorca offers.
Why is it then that the MDB, with you at the helm, recently published a letter from some disgruntled Brit denouncing Mallorca as too expensive and unfriendly which was promptly leapt upon by British Regional rags all joyfully giving Mallorca a good and proper kicking? Seems to me that your editorial decisions are part of the problem too.
You have missed the point. The population has increased massively here because of tourism. Tens of thousands of people have moved here to work in the tourist industry. Mallorca is overcrowded because of it. There is no unemployment in summer, so a reduction in hotel beds/tourist numbers is needed. This would result in a lot of workers moving elsewhere to work. This would help solve the overcrowding and bring rents down. It's really not that complicated. The only people who would be affected negatively would be the owners of the multinational hotels who don't live here anyway. A reduction in tourism is wanted and needed by the vast majority of people in Mallorca. This is not about being 'anti tourist', it is just common sense.