Latest news with #IslasBaleares
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Ibiza's ambulance service risks collapse due to callouts to clubs, says union
The ambulance service on the Spanish island of Ibiza says it is at risk of collapse because of frequent callouts to attend to clubbers having bad experiences with recreational drugs. The local ambulance union says up to a third of emergency calls are to clubs, the largest of which has a capacity of as many as 10,000 partygoers, and are largely drug-related. It is calling on club owners to contract private ambulance services. 'It's inconceivable that businesses with an income of millions of euros a year can't provide this service which is saturating the emergency services at the expense of the local population,' the president of the local health services union, José Manuel Maroto, told 'The clubs are obliged to employ nurses and other health workers but not ambulances, the cost if which is borne by public services,' he said, adding that it was unjust that the island's 161,000 residents should receive an inferior service because of the demands of 3.6 million annual visitors. According to Maroto, only one major club, DC-10, uses a private service. The island, part of the hippy trail in the 1970s, has been a mecca for clubbers since the early 1980s. The pioneering clubs were Amnesia and Pacha, but dozens have sprung up since, making the dance scene – and the drugs that fuel it – a major part of Ibiza's tourism industry. The Hollywood star Will Smith was at the inauguration last month of UNVRS, the island's biggest club, where the cheapest entry is €100 (£86) and a drink can cost €25. According to the regional government, tourists to the island spend €1.5 of every €10 on the dancefloor, but many clubbers complain the scene is now all about money and big-name DJs who command enormous appearance fees. A study by the local paper El Diario de Ibiza found that the island is the third most expensive destination in the Mediterranean after Saint-Tropez and Capri. Much of the money goes to a company founded by the former footballer and politician Abel Matutes. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The Matutes family, the most powerful on Ibiza, as well as owning numerous hotels in Spain, Mexico and the US, owns three of the island's biggest party venues, Ushuaïa, Hï Ibiza and UNVRS. Drugs are a major part of the informal economy and large busts are common. More than a million MDMA doses were recovered in a single raid last year. A study published in European Psychiatry found that there were 58 drug-related deaths on Ibiza between 2010 and 2016 with the largest proportion (36%) being young Britons.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
📸 European memories: Mallorca unveil their new 25/26 kits
RCD Mallorca has unveiled the kits it will wear in the 2025-26 season, with a design that pays tribute to one of the most iconic moments in the club's history: its participation in the Champions League in the 2001-02 campaign. The club has opted for an aesthetic line that combines tradition and identity with a touch of modernity. The first jersey recovers the classic Mallorcan red, adorned with fine vertical lines that evoke the model used during that historic European adventure. The round neck and sober details reinforce an elegant image, which does not renounce the character that has defined the club for decades. As for the second kit, white is the dominant color, with a black vertical stripe in the center of the chest that adds contrast and distinction. It is a clean and sober design, which seeks to be both functional and symbolic: a recognizable Mallorca in any stadium in the world. Advertisement Players Mateu Jaume, Sergi Darder, and Antonio Sánchez were the protagonists of the presentation campaign, in which the club used the slogan "La vida sin ti", a message loaded with emotion that reinforces the bond with its fans. The official event images show the footballers wearing both jerseys in a sober and close environment. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Roof collapses at Majorca's international airport
Part of the roof has collapsed in the arrivals area of the airport on the Spanish island of Majorca.
Daily Mail
16-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment cops form protective shield in front of holidaymakers dining at a Majorca restaurant as they are barracked by anti-tourist protesters
Spanish police officers had to form a protective shield in front of dining holidaymakers being barracked by anti-tourist protestors on Sunday. Powerful images captured in Majorca show officers standing guard while stunned diners watched on at the crowd of chanting demonstrators. It comes after thousands of locals marched across Spanish islands on Sunday afternoon demanding that Brits 'go home' as part of widespread protests against so-called 'over tourism '. A large demonstration in Palma de Mallorca saw fed-up locals banging their drums and chanting slogans as tourists desperately attempted to enjoy their evening meals. Beginning at Plaza de España, in the heart of the tourist city, shortly after 6pm, activists claimed that more than 30,000 people took to the streets to voice their frustrations about the damaging impact of holidaymakers. Placards held up by marchers read: 'Tourists go home', 'Mallorca is not for sale' and 'Mallorca is not your cash cow… go home.' Meanwhile, other signs read: 'Your vacations, our anxiety.' Footage showed Brits left visibly shocked by the demonstrations, while other tourists were seen taking refuge on their accommodation balconies. Dozens of placards at the popular demonstration read 'tourists go home… refugees welcome', while a group of teenagers could be heard chanting 'tourists go home!' as they marched through the city. Children taking part in the protest were seen carrying water pistols, with plans to spray holidaymakers as they pass on by. Protesters were heard chanting slogans against Airbnb and 'guiris' - the Spanish slang term used to describe Brits and other foreigners. One placard read: 'Rich foreign property buyers go to hell', while another said: 'Enough is enough.' Local resident Oriol, 40, told MailOnline: 'I'm protesting because I don't want 80% of my money to go on rent. 'I don't want to be forced to speak only English or German in by apartment block. 'I don't want my friends to have to go to the mainland when they have children just to be able to afford a dignified life, a lot of us are fed up.' Alex, 32, has a masters degree and a well-paying job. He told MailOnline: 'I'm here because I cannot afford to buy my own place, I'm having to live with my parents because the rent is also too much. 'There are also far too many people coming to the island for holiday, our resources cannot cope, there needs to be a limit.' The demonstrations took place in major destinations including Barcelona, Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, San Sebastian, Granada, Tenerife and Malaga. Other European destinations involved in the action include Venice in Italy and Lisbon in Portugal. The action is designed to 'call attention to the social and environmental costs of overtourism.' The protests have been organised by the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification (SET), and are supported by local activist groups. Many locals living in tourist hotspots in Spain believe the industry's model has become too excessive. They say the numbers of visitors continue to increase year by year, creating an increasing demand on local resources. They also complain that the overwhelming amount of tourist activity is causing environmental pollution, particularly in Tenerife, where natural landscapes are not being properly protected by local authorities, while a surge in pleasure boats and sewage waste are polluting the marine environment, they claim. More importantly, the explosion of Airbnb-style properties has seen property prices surge over the past five to 10 years. In holiday hotspots, landlords are choosing to rent to tourists instead of selling or renting to local families. This is stripping housing supply and making the available stock far more expensive and out of reach for a growing number of locals. The protesters marched for over a kilometre before gathering in Plaza de Reina near to the seafront. A series of activists gave speeches demanding a 'drastic' change in laws regarding the tourism industry - including banning Airbnb style properties from the island. Dozens of officers from the armed National Police force were seen escorting the protesters throughout the march, which ended without incident. In Ibiza, another popular Spanish island for British holidaymakers, similar protests took place demanding reductions to tourism. Around 1,000 protesters took part in the march organised by major anti-tourism platform Canviem el Rumb, which has been carrying out demonstrations in the Spanish holiday hotspot over the last year. Security was stepped up to protect tourists from the demonstrators, who left Portal de Ses Taules in the town centre at around 6pm and ended at Plaza de sa Graduada, in front of the courts at 9pm. Major demonstrations also took place across other cities in Spain, including Barcelona, and San Sebastián, as well as other European cities in Portugal and Italy. The protests aim to keep pressure on governments to address the problems generated by tourism, including rising rents, housing shortages and environmental damage. Canviem el Rumb is campaigning for a reduction in tourism, which it claims is having an adverse effect on Ibiza. 'Although each of them will have their own characteristics, they will all jointly critique mass tourism and luxury tourism,' said Pau Kokura, a member of Canviem el Rumb. The group says tourism is only helping the rich whilst the poor in Ibiza suffer, especially due to the lack of affordable housing. It also argues that there is an overabundance of hotel rooms, making it impossible for residents to afford rentals and therefore remain on the island. Agnès Vidal, another member of the organization, said: 'Mass tourism affects many aspects of our daily lives. This time, we want to highlight five key areas: the first, the right to water, because we have villages that dedicate themselves to irrigating water when the people of the island reduce their consumption. 'The second, the right to have a property in good condition. Third, we demand decent work, because people who work, especially during the summer, do so in terrible conditions in many sectors. Protesters hold a banner reading 'Mallorca is not for sale' during a demonstration to protest against the massification of tourism and housing prices on the island of Mallorca in Palma de Mallorca on May 25, 2024 'We also demand the right to rest, which is often not possible with the mega-clubs. The fifth block is housing. We have more and more people living in substandard housing around Ibiza Town. And that's why we have to find a solution.' Activists believe the current tourism model is 'unsustainable' and pushing the islands toward collapse. They want to limit the number of tourists visiting the islands, ban new hotel construction and introduce a tougher tourist tax, among other measures. But Brits holidaying in Tenerife previously told MailOnline the locals 'should be careful what they wish for.' A poll by Majorca Daily Bulletin found that around 44 per cent of people will now think twice about booking a holiday on the popular island after huge demonstrations over mass tourism. Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency warned: 'If this survey is accurate, local protestors should be careful what they wish for. 'The Majorcan (and other local islands) economy relies heavily on tourism to create jobs and bring money into the region. 'It would be a disaster for the area if the protests, however valid, cut off the flow of visitors and reduce income. 'The solution is to work with local authorities on spreading the number of visitors into the shoulder seasons, so there is a flow of tourists throughout the year rather than be concentrated over the summer.' One regular visitor to Tenerife told MailOnline last month echoed the same sentiment. Paul Nixon, 60, from Staffordshire said: 'I think they need to be careful what they wish for, the island is so dependent on tourism. 'I think bookings are down already to be honest, it seems quieter this year.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Huge overtourism protest planned for Spanish holiday hotspot
Menys Turisme Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) has announced a large-scale anti-overtourism protest in Mallorca on June 15, involving 60 organisations. The protest follows a demonstration last summer where around 10,000 people protested against rising housing prices and the impact of tourism. The group is protesting to make it 'clear that our territories are not for sale' and is calling for limits on tourism to protect resources and residents' needs. Campaigners claim the tourist industry impoverishes people, impacts housing, and diverts focus from the public sector, while also highlighting environmental concerns like pollution and emissions. Menys Turisme Més Vida stated that while 'Mallorca is not against tourism', it cannot be a 'theme park open 24 hours a day', and they advocate for better working conditions for hospitality workers. 'We are not a theme park': Overtourism protestors plan huge Mallorca demonstration
