Brits urged to 'go home' by Majorca hotels in awkward billboard plea
Hoteliers in Majorca are uniting to urge British holidaymakers to "go home", but unlike the placards of local residents protesting against the effects of mass tourism, these hotel businesses are asking them to return "soon."
The Majorca Hotel Business Federation (FEHM) is erecting signs across the island in an attempt to reclaim the viral "go home" slogan used by local demonstrators demanding stricter regulations on short-term holiday rentals and a halt to hotel construction in favour of residential homes.
Signs in both English and German, aimed at two of the Spanish island's key tourist demographics, will now somewhat awkwardly read: "Tourist, go home happy. Be happier returning to Mallorca soon. Thanks!".
Despite an early summer dip in visitors from Germany and Spain, Brits, seemingly unfazed by the prospect of having a 'go home' placard brandished at them, have been dubbed the islands' "most loyal holidaymakers". This is evidenced by a recent nine per cent surge in British tourists visiting Majorca and a six per cent increase across the Balearics overall.
Approximately 20 billboards will carry these messages, as reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, in a bid by business leaders to counteract some of the negative sentiment stirred up by these often well-attended protests.
Javier Vich, the president of MEHF, expressed his hope that the billboards would capitalise on a recent significant victory for the local hospitality industry. The sector had experienced walk-outs and strikes over pay, before a "best in Spain" increase of 13.5 per cent was agreed with employers.
Vich stated: "Every month during the high season, 235,000 salaries are paid in sectors linked to tourism: transport, catering, culture, leisure and hospitality.' before stressing that these salaries were paid from the proceeds of tourists visiting the island.
He added: "We cannot allow a radical minority to damage the work carried out over many years by so many people who have made tourism their way of life."
The Balearic Islands rank as the third most popular destination for holidaymakers travelling to Spain, which has witnessed a tremendous tourism surge since the pandemic. This has resulted in a significant increase in illegal holiday rentals across the country, reducing the number of homes available for locals and driving up rental prices.
However, Vich contended: "Tourism cannot be the punching bag for all the structural problems of this community."
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