Anti-tourist protesters take over sightseeing coach in Majorca with smoke bombs ahead of mass march tomorrow
SPANISH protesters held up a sightseeing bus in Palma de Majorca ahead of a major anti-tourism demonstration tomorrow.
The goal of the act was to 'denounce the touristification and commercialisation' of the popular Spanish island, the group said.
4
4
Campaigners from 'Menys Turisme, Més Vida' (Less Tourism, More Life) staged the protest in the Majorcan capital city of Palma.
They halted the bus, climbing onto it and unfurling a banner calling for an end to mass tourism.
In a video shared on its social media account, the group said it is 'tired' and 'ready to break the tourism status quo'.
It believes it's urgent to change the model to one that prioritises the well-being of the local population over the interests of the tourism industry.
The group called on locals to join Sunday's demo at 6pm in Plaza de España.
Thousands across the Balearic Islands - along with other parts of Spain - are expected to take part tomorrow.
They are demanding the right to better housing, decent work, environmental sustainability and quality public services.
It comes as Spain's first major overtourism protests of the year kicked off in April after thousands of people across 40 cities took to the streets.
Majorca, one of the centres of the protests last year, hosted the first mass protests of the year.
Nearly 40 organisations from the Balearic Islands are believed to have marched in Palma.
Thousands of anti-tourist protesters flood Spanish hols hotspots & call on mob to super glue holiday rental locks
The slogan of the protest was 'Let's end the housing crisis'.
One anti-AirBnb campaign urged Majorcan locals to vandalise key boxes outside rentals by supergluing their locks.
Later, in May, thousands flooded the streets of the Canary Islands in Spain's third wave of protests against overtourism this year.
Demonstrations took place across the Spanish archipelago's islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.
The slogan of the march was: "The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended."
Other banners read: "The Canary Islands have a limit and so does our patience" and "Enough is enough!"
The anti-mass tourism movement in Spain began gaining serious momentum in April 2024.
Locals have been demanding an end to the problems associated with mass tourism, including pollution, traffic chaos and the lack of affordable housing.
What is overtourism?
Overtourism refers to the phenomenon where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity
The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues
As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals
Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources
In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism
Some solutions include:
Safeguarding historical and heritage sites
Promoting off-peak travel
Tourism caps and regulations
Promoting lesser-known destinations
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Spaniards packing water pistols blame impact of mass tourism for housing crunch
In Barcelona 's residential Gràcia neighborhood known for its quaint squares, Txema Escorsa feels he is being left behind. The friendly faces of neighbors in his apartment building have been replaced by a non-stop flow of hard-partying foreigners, and his teacher's salary can't keep pace with the rising rent. "It is tough for me to imagine what to do next,' he told The Associated Press in the living room of his two-bedroom apartment. 'If I leave, will I be contributing to Barcelona losing its essence that comes from its locals? But there comes a time when I'm fed up.' Escorsa, 33, is just one of many residents who believe tourism has gone too far in the city famed for Antoni Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia basilica and the Las Ramblas promenade, running roughshod over communities and exacerbating a housing crisis. It's not just a Spanish problem. Cities across the world are struggling with how to cope with overtourism and a boom in short-term rental platforms, like Airbnb, but perhaps nowhere has surging discontent been so evident as in Barcelona, where protesters plan to take to the streets on Sunday. Similar demonstrations are slated in several other Spanish cities, including on the Balearic islands of Mallorca and Ibiza, as well as in the Italian postcard city of Venice, Portugal 's capital Lisbon and other cities across southern Europe — marking the first time a protest against tourism has been coordinated across the region. 'Very likely water pistols will be back' A poll in June 2022 found just 2% of Spaniards thought housing was a national problem. Three years later, almost a third of those surveyed said it is now a leading concern. (Both polls were of 4,000 people, with a margin of error of 1.6%) Spaniards have staged several large protests in Barcelona, Madrid and other cities in recent years to demand lower rents. When thousands marched through the streets of Spain's capital in April, some held homemade signs saying 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods.' Last year, Barcelona seemed to reach a tipping point when a rally in favor of 'degrowing tourism' ended with some protestors shooting water pistols at unsuspecting tourists. Images of those incidents went around the world, and more such scenes are expected on Sunday. 'It is very likely the water pistols will be back," said Daniel Pardo, one of the organizers of the Barcelona protest. "In fact, we encourage people to bring their own.' Spain, with a population of 48 million, hosted a record 94 million international visitors in 2024, compared with 83 million in 2019, making it one of the most-visited countries in the world. It could receive as many as 100 million tourists this year, according to studies cited by Spain's economy minister. Blocking tourist rentals Spain's municipal and federal authorities are striving to show they hear the public outcry and are taking appropriate action to put the tourism industry on notice, despite the fact it contributes 12% of national GDP. Almost two-thirds of those who took part in a poll conducted last year in Barcelona said tourist apartments led to bothersome behavior. Two months later, the city stunned Airbnb and other services who help rent properties to tourists by announcing the elimination of all 10,000 short-term rental licenses in the city by 2028. A survey by Spain's public opinion office last year showed more than three-quarters of respondents favored tighter regulations on tourist apartments. Spain's left-wing government approved regulations making it easier for owners of apartments to block others from renting to tourists in their building, as well as approving measures to allow cities like Barcelona to cap rents. And last month, it ordered Airbnb to remove almost 66,000 holiday rentals from the platform which it said had violated local rules. Spain's Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told AP that the tourism sector 'cannot jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish people,' which enshrines their right to housing and well-being. Carlos Cuerpo, the economy minister, said in a separate AP interview that the government is aware it must tackle the unwanted side effects of mass tourism. 'These record numbers in terms of tourism also pose challenges, and we need to deal with those challenges also for our own population,' Cuerpo said. 'Brewing for decades' The short-term rental industry believes it is being treated unfairly. 'I think a lot of our politicians have found an easy scapegoat to blame for the inefficiencies of their policies in terms of housing and tourism over the last 10, 15, 20 years,' Airbnb's general director for Spain and Portugal, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago told the AP. 'If you look at the over-tourism problem in Spain, it has been brewing for decades, and probably since the 60s." He says hotels are still the leading accommodation for tourists. In Barcelona, hotels accounted for 20 million tourists in 2024, compared with 12 million who used homes, according to local data. Rodríguez de Santiago notes the contradiction of Barcelona's Mayor Jaume Collboni backing the expansion of the city's international airport — announced this week — while still planning to wipe out the tourist apartments. That argument either hasn't trickled down to the ordinary residents of Barcelona, or isn't resonating. Escorsa, the teacher in Barcelona, doesn't just oppose Airbnb in his home city; he has ceased to use it even when traveling elsewhere, out of principle. 'In the end, you realize that this is taking away housing from people,' he said.
Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Anti-tourist protesters take over sightseeing coach in Majorca with smoke bombs ahead of mass march tomorrow
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SPANISH protesters held up a sightseeing bus in Palma de Majorca ahead of a major anti-tourism demonstration tomorrow. The goal of the act was to 'denounce the touristification and commercialisation' of the popular Spanish island, the group said. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Protesters held up a sightseeing bus in the Majorcan capital of Palma Credit: @menysturisme / instagram 4 Campaigners from 'Menys Turisme, Més Vida' (Less Tourism, More Life) held up signs reading 'For The Right To A Dignified Life' Credit: @menysturisme / instagram 4 Yellow smoke flares were seen in the protest Credit: @menysturisme / instagram Campaigners from 'Menys Turisme, Més Vida' (Less Tourism, More Life) staged the protest in the Majorcan capital city of Palma. They halted the bus, climbing onto it and unfurling a banner calling for an end to mass tourism. In a video shared on its social media account, the group said it is 'tired' and 'ready to break the tourism status quo'. It believes it's urgent to change the model to one that prioritises the well-being of the local population over the interests of the tourism industry. The group called on locals to join Sunday's demo at 6pm in Plaza de España. Thousands across the Balearic Islands - along with other parts of Spain - are expected to take part tomorrow. They are demanding the right to better housing, decent work, environmental sustainability and quality public services. It comes as Spain's first major overtourism protests of the year kicked off in April after thousands of people across 40 cities took to the streets. Majorca, one of the centres of the protests last year, hosted the first mass protests of the year. Nearly 40 organisations from the Balearic Islands are believed to have marched in Palma. Thousands of anti-tourist protesters flood Spanish hols hotspots & call on mob to super glue holiday rental locks The slogan of the protest was 'Let's end the housing crisis'. One anti-AirBnb campaign urged Majorcan locals to vandalise key boxes outside rentals by supergluing their locks. Later, in May, thousands flooded the streets of the Canary Islands in Spain's third wave of protests against overtourism this year. Demonstrations took place across the Spanish archipelago's islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. The slogan of the march was: "The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended." Other banners read: "The Canary Islands have a limit and so does our patience" and "Enough is enough!" The anti-mass tourism movement in Spain began gaining serious momentum in April 2024. Locals have been demanding an end to the problems associated with mass tourism, including pollution, traffic chaos and the lack of affordable housing. What is overtourism? Overtourism refers to the phenomenon where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism Some solutions include: Safeguarding historical and heritage sites Promoting off-peak travel Tourism caps and regulations Promoting lesser-known destinations
The Sun
17 hours ago
- The Sun
Anti-tourist protesters take over sightseeing coach in Majorca with smoke bombs ahead of mass march tomorrow
SPANISH protesters held up a sightseeing bus in Palma de Majorca ahead of a major anti-tourism demonstration tomorrow. The goal of the act was to 'denounce the touristification and commercialisation' of the popular Spanish island, the group said. 4 4 Campaigners from 'Menys Turisme, Més Vida' (Less Tourism, More Life) staged the protest in the Majorcan capital city of Palma. They halted the bus, climbing onto it and unfurling a banner calling for an end to mass tourism. In a video shared on its social media account, the group said it is 'tired' and 'ready to break the tourism status quo'. It believes it's urgent to change the model to one that prioritises the well-being of the local population over the interests of the tourism industry. The group called on locals to join Sunday's demo at 6pm in Plaza de España. Thousands across the Balearic Islands - along with other parts of Spain - are expected to take part tomorrow. They are demanding the right to better housing, decent work, environmental sustainability and quality public services. It comes as Spain's first major overtourism protests of the year kicked off in April after thousands of people across 40 cities took to the streets. Majorca, one of the centres of the protests last year, hosted the first mass protests of the year. Nearly 40 organisations from the Balearic Islands are believed to have marched in Palma. Thousands of anti-tourist protesters flood Spanish hols hotspots & call on mob to super glue holiday rental locks The slogan of the protest was 'Let's end the housing crisis'. One anti-AirBnb campaign urged Majorcan locals to vandalise key boxes outside rentals by supergluing their locks. Later, in May, thousands flooded the streets of the Canary Islands in Spain's third wave of protests against overtourism this year. Demonstrations took place across the Spanish archipelago's islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. The slogan of the march was: "The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended." Other banners read: "The Canary Islands have a limit and so does our patience" and "Enough is enough!" The anti-mass tourism movement in Spain began gaining serious momentum in April 2024. Locals have been demanding an end to the problems associated with mass tourism, including pollution, traffic chaos and the lack of affordable housing. What is overtourism? Overtourism refers to the phenomenon where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism Some solutions include: Safeguarding historical and heritage sites Promoting off-peak travel Tourism caps and regulations Promoting lesser-known destinations
