Spanish protesters were reeled at the impact of popular tourism on local homes and services, and were brought back to the city of holiday destinations popular with Britain and the signs telling them to “go home.”
A peaceful Sunday for tourists looking to relax in both Mallorca and Ibiza was destroyed by the loud voices of thousands of demonstrators who flocked to the streets to get politicians to take action.
Many were surprised as angry locals demanded that cruise ships, private jets and end the holiday floods.
At one point in the protest, organizers claim that 30,000 people marched in Palma, Mallorca. Police had to step in to protect tourists enjoying drinks at bars in the city centre.
The march began at 6pm in the heart of Palma, with smaller protests taking place in Ibiza as well, crowds confused dinners for many island visitors, and the group chanted “Tourists are coming home,” read “Mallorca is not on sale” and “Your vacation, our uncertainty.”
The demonstrations expressed anger at the local term “guilis,” for British and foreigners in general, but the main focus was on the tragedy of Airbnb-style landlords, where rents were raised, as they turned large housing complexes into holidays.
A local resident told us in an email:
“We don't want our friends to have to go to the mainland when they have children to live a dignified life. Many of us are tired of them.”
The 32-year-old with a master's degree living in Mallorca said, “I'm here because I can't afford my own place. I have to live with my parents because the rent is too much.
“We also have too many people coming to the island for holidays. Our resources can't be addressed. We need restrictions.”
Spain's Balearic Islands received more than 15 million international visitors last year, but only about 1.2 million people. It is believed that some estimates of the number of homes used as holiday accommodation in some tourist hotspots are more than one in three.
Demonstrations like Sunday are being planned for the summer, with major protests planned at mainland destinations like Barcelona and large protests planned for Sunseeker's favorite in the Canary Islands. Over the past few years, this has experienced major confusion in the villa, with protesters even having people sunbathing on the beach and having full discussions with angry tourists.
