Majorca struggles as tourist hotspot amid warning of 'sad reality' for UK tourists

Daily Record

2 days ago

British tourists have been warned over the reality of life in the Balearic Islands
UK tourists in Majorca have been warned about the "sad reality" behind their dream holidays, which are turning out to be disappointing. European Union holidaymakers are also being cautioned about what to really expect from the Balearic Islands.
Taking to Instagram, social media star Olly Bowman warned people of overcrowding at the beaches along the Majorcan coastline. Speaking on a video, he laughed: "The reality of beaches in Mallorca," while panning the camera towards the sand.
‌
He continued: "There is zero space on the sand." Before he took to the water and explained: "All of majorca has these little alcoves of beaches, there's a tiny bit of sand and it's packed with people."
‌
Fans and followers of the vlogger were quick to rush to the comment section, giving their own experiences of over tourism and crowding in holiday hotspots like Majorca, Menorca, Gran Canaria, Ibiza and more, like Lanzarote and Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Birmingham Live reports.
One Instagram follower wrote: "Guys I understand the mass turism situation in most of Spain but what do you expect turist to do? Of course they will visit to see the beach, him providing the beach name will do NOTHING. It's already well known."
As a second, who lived in Mallorca voiced their opinion, stating: "Look, I like your content, but I lived in Mallorca for a few years. I left because of gentrification and mass tourism. These videos don't help at all. The people there can't sustain that, nor can nature."
"I simply invite you to reflect on the impact we have on this world, because you really seem like a good guy," they pleaded.
‌
While a third said: "If it's so crowded why do you keep going and sharing posts about it. Imagine for the people living in Mallorca..,"
Another said: "Mallorca as always being extremely affected by mass tourism, this may be a beautiful beach but it has been ruined for the locals who can't even go down to swim there anymore."
A fifth had said that Olly's video showed the "sad reality" of life and holidaying in the Balearics now. The Instagram video gained over 11,000 likes after Olly posted it.
‌
This comes after authorities in Spain's Balearic Islands announced they will stop using social media influencers to promote lesser-known destinations and hidden spots, stating that "selfie tourism" is taking a toll on the region's most popular areas.
In an effort to ease the pressure caused by over tourism, officials had hoped that social media influencers - many with hundreds of thousands of followers - could help by encouraging tourists to explore quieter, less-visited areas.
The idea was that by showcasing alternative locations, influencers might reduce the crowds at the islands' most popular and overcrowded spots.