Latest news with #IslasBaleares
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
Spanish islands beg tour operators not to promote secluded cove
The Balearic Islands local authority is asking that media outlets and tour operators stop promoting Caló des Moro, a small cove in Mallorca. The small cove saw 4,000 visitors daily last summer after being featured in influencer content. Its capacity is only around 100 people. The influencer campaign, initially intended to divert tourists to less-known areas, backfired by causing overcrowding in remote and protected locations. The local authority has removed images of the cove from its website and will stop using social media influencers to promote tourism.
Times
20-05-2025
- Times
Spain orders 65,000 Airbnbs to close in fightback against mass tourism
The Spanish government has ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform for rule violations, the consumer rights ministry said. The Spanish authorities' attempts to prevent another summer of discontent over surging tourism have led to curbs on rental flats across the country. The regional government of the Balearic Islands is also attempting to stop a 'massive influx of tourists' drawn by images posted online by influencers, La Vanguardia newspaper reported. In recent months tens of thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets protesting against rising housing and rental costs, which many say have been driven up by holiday rentals on platforms such as Airbnb that have proliferated in popular tourist destinations. 'Enough with protecting those who make a
Travel Daily News
16-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Palma Tourism Board to launch campaign
Palma Tourism Board launches campaign to engage residents with tourism, fostering pride and integration of tourism into local culture and community life. PALMA – Palma Tourism Board is set to launch later this year a new campaign aimed at encouraging local residents to take pride in the city's tourism sector and to embrace its offerings as part of Palma's cultural and social fabric. As part of this initiative, residents will be invited to enjoy a range of free activities in spaces traditionally associated with tourism. Proposed activities include concerts, workshops, exhibitions, and gastronomic tastings – events designed to make the tourism sector more accessible and relevant to local people. According to Palma Tourism Board, the central objective is for residents to feel proud of Palma's tourism offer and to perceive it as a valuable part of their own leisure and community life. These experiences aim to encourage locals to rediscover their city through its dynamic tourism infrastructure. The campaign seeks to promote the idea that hotels and related infrastructure form an integral part of Palma's heritage, not only in an economic sense but also as a cornerstone of its cultural and social identity. In the project brief, Palma highlights the need to 'promote further the integration of tourism activity into local life' and to 'strengthen the bond and sense of belonging between residents and their city.' Palma Tourism Board is focused on enhancing public perception of tourism among Palma's residents and fostering a shared sense of ownership in the city's ongoing transformation.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mallorca locals urge tourists to 'stay home' amid growing anger
As Spain's 2025 tourism season is ramping up in Mallorca, the industry expects another year of record-breaking numbers, but not everyone is happy about it. The consequences of mass and luxury tourism have caused anger, especially in holiday centres like Mallorca, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga and Madrid. While tourist numbers continue to soar, residents on low incomes cannot afford rent. Hotel operators, bar owners and tourism businesses are preparing for a lucrative summer, as growing discontent simmers in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Mediterranean island. The Balearic Islands, including Mallorca, are projected to surpass 20 million visitors this year - a new milestone for the region. In 2024, the islands hosted nearly 19 million tourists, up 5% from 2023. Mallorca alone welcomed 13.5 million visitors, despite having fewer than 1 million residents. Even the conservative regional government's tourism minister, Jaume Bauzá, has acknowledged the strain, warning, "We have reached a limit." Working yet still poor: Many left behind by the tourism boom Tourists spent a whopping €22.4 billion (approximately $25.2 billion) on the islands - around 12% more than in the previous year. In Mallorca, tourism accounts for well over 40% of total income. However, not everyone benefits from this. On the contrary: according to official figures, one in five Balearic residents is considered to be at risk of poverty. "Misery on Mallorca is spreading rapidly," reads a recent headline in Mallorca Magazin, a German-language weekly newspaper on the island. There are "more and more shanty towns" popping, it reports, including one next to the tracks of the Sóller train, a historic narrow-gauge railway popular with tourists. Last year, a report in the Mallorca Zeitung newspaper on the social situation wrote: "Poor despite work: many people in Mallorca have no money left to eat." Housing shortage, price increase, environmental pollution In addition to the number of visitors, the number of holiday flats is also growing. Tenants' associations, environmental groups and other organizations see numerous negative consequences including housing shortages, pollution, congestion and noise, a general price increase and the destruction of nature. Over the past year, protests against mass tourism have intensified, reflecting growing public discontent. Recently, seven Mallorcan organizations published a fiery open letter urging tourists to stay away. "Don't come here!" and "Stay at home," the open letter said. Mallorca is "not the paradise you are being sold." The island is "completely overcrowded" and is experiencing "a collapse," it reads. "The locals are angry and no longer hospitable because the land we love is being destroyed and because many residents have to emigrate because the island has become uninhabitable." Authorities have many plans - but little action Again in April, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain - including in Mallorca - to protest against the housing shortage. Despite repeated promises of improvement from the local government in Palma, meaningful change remains elusive. Instead, authorities are proposing new regulations that critics say effectively criminalize homelessness. Sleeping in parks is set to be banned, along with overnight stays in caravans. The latter sparked such strong outrage from campers that Mayor Jaime Martínez was forced to partially retreat, announcing plans to remove the proposed ban on caravans. Hotel owners deny overcrowding in Mallorca While concerns over mass tourism continue to grow, the tourism industry is pushing back, warning against jeopardizing a sector that sustains much of the island's economy. Industry leaders have criticized the Palma government's plans to impose new measures aimed at curbing the negative impacts of overtourism. Among the proposals is an increase in the tourist tax, which could rise to as much as €6 per person per night. The Mallorca Hoteliers Federation (FEHM) rejects claims that the island is overcrowded. "There is no mass tourism," insists FEHM president Javier Vich. However, vice president of the Balearic Islands Antoni Costa argues that restrictions are inevitable, stating, "The well-being of residents must be taken into account." "Mallorca is slowly becoming an expensive island," says Mika Ferrer, head of the Palma Beach Business Association, which advocates for higher standards along the coastline. "Holidaymakers have limited budgets," Ferrer notes, but adds that rising costs leave hotels and restaurants with little choice but to raise prices. "We're certainly not willing to compromise on quality," he says. New security measures target party tourism in Mallorca When Mallorca's 2025 tourism season kicked off over the Easter holidays, approximately 94% of hotels affiliated with Palma Beach had reopened, with "bookings exceeding 80%," according to Ferrer. Ferrer voiced strong support for a new security initiative recently introduced by Palma Mayor Jaime Martínez. The plan targets "booze tourism" - a term used locally to describe unruly, alcohol-fuelled holidaymakers - and aims to restore order to some of the island's most chaotic tourist zones. Funded by €3 million in tourist tax revenue, the plan includes expanding Palma's local police force to 275 officers and deploying eight new patrol cars and surveillance cameras in hotspots known for disruptive partying by tourists. "The goal is to provide 24/7 security," says Mayor Martínez, emphasizing his determination to avoid a repeat of the "excesses of recent years." Despite the renewed efforts, many locals remain sceptical. Similar pledges have been made in previous seasons, often with underwhelming results.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Warning for tourists as storms forecast for holiday hotspot
Spain and the Balearic Islands are bracing for heavy rain, hail, and thunderstorms, with a Status Orange storm warning issued for several regions, including Barcelona and Madrid. Snow is possible in higher altitude areas. This contrasts sharply with the UK, where temperatures are predicted to reach the low 20s Celsius over the weekend. The adverse weather in Spain is attributed to a low-pressure system from the Atlantic and a cold air mass over the Iberian Peninsula. The Canary Islands are also experiencing rainfall, despite warmer temperatures.
