British tourists boycott Magaluf leading to 'unusually quiet' summer
Street in Magaluf
PA
British tourists have launched a major boycott of Magaluf as the Spanish holiday hotspot witnesses an “unusually quiet” summer.
Magaluf is known for being frequented by bronzed and boozing Britons hoping to make the most of the Spanish sun.
However, bar and restaurant owners have expressed concern after pictures showed rows of empty sunbeds in late May.
Tables have also reportedly been left vacant at usually busy nightspots.
Magaluf saw an 'unusually quiet' summer
PAThe drop in arrivals appears to have followed a series of protests, including one in the island’s capital Palma demanding “immediate measures” to address the housing crisis and tourist overcrowding.
The Majorca Daily Bulletin raised concerns about Magaluf being “unusually quiet”, claiming it was “half empty if that”.
A bar owner claimed that the anti-tourist protesters' “wishes had been granted”.
However, protest organiser Javier Barbero said: "This has only just begun.
The planned demonstration follows a wave of anti-tourist protests in MajorcaGetty“If the reality is denied and still no measures are taken, we will take to the streets until they act."
Demonstrators from Mallorca Platja Tour have even encouraged locals to reclaim public beaches in response to remarks from a politician who suggested that residents could no longer expect beach access in high-season July and August, a privilege burdened by the influx of tourists.
Activists headed to a beach in Sa Rapita following an earlier protest in Palma.
Marching through the central square, the group chanted: “Tourists go home.”
Magaluf is usually busy in the spring and summer months PADespite Barbero’s comments, a staggering 45 per cent of the Balearic Islands' revenue comes from its tourism industry.
Data compiled by the National Statistics Institute revealed that tourists pumped €71billion into the Spanish economy between January and July, up 18.6 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
It also appeared to dispute suggestions of an overall drop in tourists, with Spain welcoming 53.4 million international visitors over the same period, up 12 per cent in the previous year.
Tourist Minister Jordi Hereu said: “The significant increase in spending by international [travellers] visiting our country confirms that tourism, thanks to the efforts an work of everyone, continues to drive the country's economy, generating wealth and employment in the sector.”