Majorca locals moan they're being 'colonised' by tourists...but Britons hit back
Locals in Majorca have been staging anti-tourism protests
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Britons hit back after residents in Majorca complained that they’re being “colonised by foreigners”.
In recent months, locals across Spain have staged anti-tourism protests, with 15,000 protesters taking to the streets in Palma, Majorca in May.
Another recent protest took place on June 16, organised by Mallorca Platja Tour, which encouraged locals to take back their beaches by going swimming and to “enjoy them as before”.
Over 250 people took over a tourist hotspot in protest, with the group stating: “For one day Calo des Moro will belong to the Majorcans.”
Locals in Majorca have been staging anti-tourism protestsGettyHowever, anti-tourist protesters in Majorca have been warned that they “should be careful what they wish for” as demonstrations could be a "disaster" for their economy, according to industry experts.
Around 44 per cent of people will now think twice before booking a holiday to the island, a new poll by Majorca Daily Bulletin revealed.
One holidaymaker has dismissed the demonstrations on the island, which receives about 40 per cent of its income from tourism, as “completely hypocritical”.
Speaking to The Sun, Zoe Kemp said: “They rely on tourists to survive. If you look around, everything is based on tourists.
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Anti-tourist protesters in Majorca have been warned that they 'should be careful what they wish for'Reuters“Places like Magaluf are advertised as cheap drinking holidays. We help the economy.”
However, residents across Spain are claiming that they are being outpriced out of their neighbourhoods by expats who earn more money, as they demand the end of “touristification”.
In Malaga, holidaymakers have been told to “go home” and a demonstration is planned on June 29 at Costa Del Sol.
After the pandemic, many remote workers have been moving to Spain for a cheaper and sunnier life. This, coupled with expats often earning more than the locals, has resulted in many residents feeling like they are being pushed out.
Stickers have been plastered on buildings, reading: “More tourists? No thanks”, “Stop Tourism” and “Tourists go home — you are not welcome here.”
Locals say they are being forced out of their own neighbourhoods as properties are being converted to accommodation for visitorsGettylícia Aguiló, spokeswoman for SOS Residents, an activist group co-ordinating rallies in Majorca, told the publication that anti-tourism sentiments are rampant across Spain.
“They started in the Canaries. Now I see that in Ibiza they are beginning to mobilise. This is just the beginning. We will continue until politicians are willing to make changes.
“Majorca is being colonised by foreigners and greedy developers have turned the islands into a theme park for tourists.”
Tourists have also been urged by holiday companies to look elsewhere when booking their next trip, with TUI announcing that the Balearic Islands have “reached capacity”.
The CEO of TUI, Sebastian Ebel, 61, is encouraging holidaymakers to look at less crowded destinations such as Egypt and Turkey, as he says the Spanish archipelago cannot host any more tourists.