British tourists are reportedly turning their backs in Mallorca's popular seaside town. Instead, they choose to visit Benidorm, which is reportedly “more welcome.”
According to Miguel Perez-Marsa, president of the Abone Nightclub and Entertainment Association in Mallorca, Holidaymakers now feel “deviled” at Magaluf. The town on the west coast of Mallorca is known as a major tourist destination, but is currently visited by French and Italian tourists who are less interested in parties than the British. Perez Marza told Diario de Mallorca that young British tourists had been “steamed” from the town after clearing out the once lively party strip.
More British families are currently visiting Magaluff for a comprehensive deal. However, they spend less time outside the hotel, affecting local businesses.
Young tourists have opted to visit Benidorm instead following the “cleanup” of party resorts. They reportedly feel that the town is more “welcome” than Magaluff.
Magaluf was branded as “Lawless Party Resort” in 2014, and shocking footage showed that a British tourist had sex with 24 men at a bar. It led to the crackdown on local rifts to improve the town's party strip.
Jose Ramon Bauza, the top Mallorca politician at the time, denounced the Punta Ballerna Party Strip as “a 500 metre shame.” Fines were introduced at the deadline for drunk tourists, and restrictions were announced last year to curb some of the worst tourist excesses.
This included a fine of up to £1,300 for tourists catching street drinking. Meanwhile, alcohol stores in certain parts of town have been closed at night.
Figures released last week show that UK tourists make up the majority of vacationers in Benidorm. The average hotel occupancy rate for the resort was 84.7% in May.
However, anti-tourism protests continue to take place across Spain. There will be yet another demonstration in Parma this Sunday, with around 60 groups scheduled to take part.
A spokesman for the activist organization said last week, “We demonstrate the right to a decent living and demonstrate that we require the brakes.
