One of Spain's Balearic Islands, Mallorca is a favorite holiday hotspot for tourists around the world. It is known for its beach resorts, coves and crystal clear waters.
Brits in particular are fans of traveling to Spain, where flight times are less than three hours from the UK. However, the impact of popular tourism on some of Mallorca's iconic landscapes is beginning to gain response not only from locals but also from visitors.
This is what happened recently to Ollie Bowman, a well-known content creator who records his vacation on a Spanish island. Tourists were surprised at how overcrowded by picturesque corners of Mallorca's coast.
He shared the video on Instagram, where he announced that he had arrived at “the best beach in all things Mallorca.” He was strung on the floor when he came across a packed beach as there was little space to lie down or walk around, and tourists occupy every square metre of sand.
He said: “There's zero space in the sand.” The influencer then took a dip in the ocean, explaining initially as “the perfect temperature,” and admitted that it was actually “a little cold.”
Bowman shared it to enjoy the beach and he had to improvise. He found a small area to leave his own, but he was “so crowded” and had to sit with his feet on the rocks.
The Instagram clip quickly went viral, with many users, especially Mallorca residents, asking him to remove the beach name from the description. They argued that naming a beach would only exacerbate tourists in the area.
One viewer commented: “Beautiful! But if you name the beach, they'll be even more crowded.”
Another addition: “Majorca's large tourism is destroying vulnerable areas that should be protected. Please don't share the names of these beaches. Please help save as much as possible.”
The influencers responded with respect, removing Beach's name from the post's caption. In the comments section, he said:
“I want to think of myself as someone who can show me cool spots to travel or visit to others, but in this situation I see how it's more harmful than good, so I agreed and removed the name from the caption.”
He was praised and appreciated this gesture by the residents. “We appreciate that! I'm Marolcan, I enjoy our island!” replied.
Others responded with “Thank you”, “Thank you”, and “Gracias”.
As another Instagram user said, the pressure of tourists on the island's beaches is one of the major challenges faced in the summer. “Thank you for showing me the reality.”