Thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday to protest against mass tourism on the island of Mallorca, as backlash against holidaymakers in Spain continues.
The demonstration, which called for a limit on the number of tourists, was attended by protesters holding signs reading: “Tourists, we love you if you don’t buy our land” and “Your paradise is our nightmare”. They marched through the city of Palma de Mallorca, located on the southern coast of the island.
According to organizers Menys Turisme en Mas Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), some 50,000 people took part in the protest on Sunday. The protest began around 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET), but police put the number at around 12,000, RTVE reported.
Organizers argue that the island’s tourism model “impoverishes workers and enriches only a few.”
They demanded an ‘alternative tourism model’, along with ‘access to decent housing’, the ‘improvement of public services’ and the ‘protection and regeneration of natural areas’.
Tourism backlash
According to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, around 110 groups and social movements took part in the demonstration.
The event came amid growing tensions over the impact of tourism on local areas in Spain.
According to the Spanish National Institute of Statistics, the Balearic Islands, which consist of Mallorca, the largest island, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, attracted 14.4 million foreign visitors last year.
Earlier this month, protesters demonstrated against mass tourism in Barcelona visitors sprayed with water and marched through the city, chanting, “Tourists, go home.”
The Balearic Islands introduced new rules in May banning drinking on the streets in the main tourist areas on the islands of Ibiza and Mallorca, with an exception for terraces and other places where alcohol is allowed.
In April a hunger strike was declared by the local population of the Spanish Canary Islands. They protested against excessive tourism, which according to the demonstrators drives away the local population and leads to environmental damage.
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