The demonstrations against Palma de Mallorca mass tourism are removing thousands of foreign visitors, including British, Germans and Italians. According to local operators, some resorts are now “completely dead” and there are tourists who openly declare that they will not return to the island. The situation is worrying the hotel sector, the tour guides and those responsible for transport, according to the British newspaper Express.
Miguel Pérez-Marsá, president of the Nocturnal Life Association, admitted to Majorca Daily Bulletin that the most desired visitors are being discouraged by growing hostility: “Tourists who interest us are leaving; they do not feel welcome and choose other destinations.”
Criticism is not just Spanish. A British resident in Mallorca reported the same publication: “For years I considered Puerto Soller as my spiritual house… But on the last visit I was as full of tourists that the charm of the place disappeared. And for some absurd reason, bullfights have returned to Inca. I don’t feel able to return.”
This growing dissatisfaction of some tourists has been looking for alternatives. A foreign visitor quoted in the British press stated: “I thought Spain did not want many tourists, so my family voted and we went to Portugal. We didn’t go back to Spain, it should please everyone.” This type of testimony reveals a clear change in the perception of those who usually chose the balearic islands for vacation.
Break in excursions and reserves
Concern extends to tour guides. Pedro Oliver, president of the College of Tour Guides, confirmed a sharp break in search: “Anti-tacticism messages are impacting.” Ticket sales are estimated to have fallen about 20% this summer, affecting popular zones such as Valldemossa, Palma and Port Soller.
Oliver explains that the negative image that circulates abroad has a direct reflection on tourist choices: “If we generate negative news, which reverberates in other countries, tourists opt for other vacation destinations. We are transmitting the message that we don’t want tourists and everything is too full.”
The company Proguies Turista, which usually organizes about 30 excursions per Cruzeiro, is now performing only 12-14. Its president, Biel Rosales, admits that the phenomenon of “tourismphobia” is having a direct impact: “The idea that tourists are not welcome is hurting a lot.” And it points out other factors: High prices and congestion are also removing visitors.
Losses also in transportation
The sector of transport in Majorca was not indifferent to the situation. Rafel Roig, president of the Island Transport Federation, made a clear appeal: “These messages cannot be launched, because people don’t go where they don’t feel desired.”
This growing tension between residents and tourists, visible in protests and anti-tacticism slogans throughout the city of Palma, raises doubts about the future of the tourist model on the island. Although protests are mainly aimed at saturation and environmental impact of mass tourism, side effects are directly reaching the economic sector.
According to, for many British, Germans and Italians, the island is no longer synonymous with relaxing holidays. Some speak to replace it with alternative destinations where they do not feel hostility by the local population. If this trend is confirmed, the impact on balear tour can be significant.
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