Latest news with #Majorcans
Daily Mirror
26-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Tourist visits Majorca's 'best beach' and is hit with sad reality
Majorca is known for having plenty of beaches, making it popular for sun-seekers and tourists. One influencer visited the "best beach in all of Majorca" and was faced with a problem Majorca, famed for its stunning beach resorts, sheltered coves, and crystal clear waters, is a top holiday destination. It's especially popular among Brits – and travel is super easy due to the short journey and affordable flights. However, increasing concerns over the effects of mass tourism are being voiced not only by local residents of Spain but now by tourists themselves. And when an influencer visited the 'best beach in Majorca' recently, this issue was clear. Olly Bowman expressed shock at the sheer number of people crowding a well-known idyllic spot on the Majorcan coastline. Olly took to Instagram to document his day out. In the short clip, it was clear the sands had become swamped. There was hardly any room to stretch out or stroll, as holidaymakers took up every patch of beach. In his eye-opening video, he remarked: "There is zero space on the sand." Venturing into the sea for a swim, the influencer initially celebrated the "perfect temperature" of the water but soon realised that it was, in truth, "a bit chillier" than he had anticipated. Olly revealed that to enjoy his time on the beach, he had to get creative. He managed to find a tiny spot for his belongings, but ended up having to sit with his legs propped up against a rock due it being "just so crowded". His Instagram video went viral – and many Majorca locals urged him to remove the beach's name from his post to avoid exacerbating the tourist overflow. One user remarked: "Beautiful! But if you name the beaches they will even be more crowded." Another said: "Mass tourism in Majorca is destroying fragile areas that should be protected. Please refrain from sharing the names of these beaches and help us preserve them as much as possible." The influencer considerately deleted the beach's name from his caption. He elaborated in the comments section: "Everyone requested I remove the name of the beach, very fair. "I do like to think of myself as someone who can show others cool spots to travel and visit but I see how in this circumstance it's more detrimental than good, so I agree, and have removed the name from the caption." Majorcans celebrated his response, expressing their gratitude, with one replying: "We appreciate it! I'm Mallorcan, enjoy our island!" Further viewers commented with expressions of "thank you", "thanks", and "gracias." The struggle with increased tourism and its impact on the island's beaches is a significant summer issue, as highlighted by another Instagram user who commented: "Thanks for showing reality."
Daily Record
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Airbnb responds to tourists' 'go home' chants at huge protest in Majorca
Airbnb has responded after thousands of protesters across the Balearic Islands took to the streets to demand an end to the disastrous effects of mass tourism After thousands of angry residents marched across the Balearic Islands in large-scale protests to call for action against the detrimental impacts of mass tourism, short-term rental giant Airbnb has issued a response. During Sunday's demonstrations, participants pointed fingers at holiday rentals, like Airbnb, accusing them of contributing to a marked rise in local rent costs, which soared by as much as a third within a year in some parts of the Balearics. But with overtourism affecting everything in Spain from local healthcare services to traffic congestion, some amongst the Majorcan protesters just wanted to chant at people in cafes and bars, "Tourists go home." Palma witnessed a huge turnout for the protest on Sunday, with tourists caught up in cafes while indignant Majorcans brandished signs pleading for an end to the influx of cruise ships and planes that delivered 15 million visitors to their shores last year. Police, at times, had to intervene to prevent incensed demonstrators from disrupting diners enjoying their evening meals. Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb's Vice President of Public Policy, expressed his view that the outrage shown by protesters was mistakenly directed, indicating that local authorities have neglected fundamental issues in housing construction and availability, while overlooking the 'overwhelming impact' of hotels on promoting mass tourism. Yedinsky commented: "If cities are serious about easing overtourism, they must address the overwhelming impact of hotels. Hotels have driven 75 per cent of the increase in guest nights in Europe's top ten most visited cities between 2021 and 2023, accounting for almost 80 per cent of total nights across the bloc in 2023 and 2024." An Airbnb executive went on to accuse hotels of being partly responsible for the soaring rental costs that locals at popular Spanish holiday destinations face, citing a lack of new housing construction and an overemphasis on hospitality sector expansion. He stated: "Europe needs more homes - not hotels - yet cities are building more hotels as the construction of housing in the region nears a decade low." The current situation is leading some residents to move back in with their parents or leave as neighbourhoods change character due to incoming visitors. Expressing discontent, one local resident disclosed to the Mail: "I'm protesting because I don't want 80 per cent of my money to go on rent. I don't want to be forced to speak only English or German in my apartment block." Continuing, the resident added: "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." Local authorities immediately criticised the protest which inconvenienced tourists on Sunday evening. Government spokesperson Toni Costa responded by saying: "The Balearic government condemns and rejects the minority that insulted tourists,". Officials have reported that a "minority" engaged in offensive behaviour aimed at spoiling the experience of holidaymakers, stating: "This type of behaviour by a minority is not acceptable." Protesters are calling for measures to decrease the influx of tourists to the Balearic Islands, where last year, visitors outnumbered locals 14 to 1. On Sunday, demonstrators brandished placards with messages such as "mass tourism kills the city" and "their greed brings us ruin".
Scottish Sun
16-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brits outsmart angry anti-tourist protesters with simple tactic after 1000s of sunbeds in Majorca were scrapped
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GROUCHY beach bosses are scrapping nearly a quarter of Majorca's sunbeds on popular beaches in a bid to put off tourists. Hundreds of recliners for hire have already gone ahead of this year's summer invasion — in a cull set to see 1,700 shifted from the sands by 2026. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Brits in Majorca have taken their towels to the beach after bosses scrapped nearly a quarter of sunbeds Credit: Darren Fletcher 4 On Sunday, 10,000 locals joined a march condemning holidaymakers Credit: 4 Playa de Palma is reportedly set to lose most sunbeds - from 6,000 to 4,436 Credit: Darren Fletcher Officials are also planning to take away hundreds of parasols from next year after locals said there was nowhere for them to sunbathe. It comes after Majorcans protested against mass tourism taking over. On Sunday, 10,000 locals joined a march condemning holidaymakers swamping resorts and forcing them out of their homes. Police even scuffled with a menacing crowd who had ringed a popular restaurant to chant at tourist diners. read more on majorca STREETS OF HATE Moment axe-wielding anti tourist mob surrounds Brits in Majorca Playa de Palma is reportedly set to lose most sunbeds, from 6,000 to 4,436. But Brits have vowed to carry on sunbathing by simply taking their towels and lying on the sand. Hairdresser Nigel Oxby, 53, from Doncaster, who was holidaying in Playa de Palma with his family, said: 'I'll just come down with my towel if I really want to go to the beach. 'There's tons of other beaches with nothing on them. 'If you're a local and you don't like tourists, then there's other places to go.' He said he does not feel as welcome on the island since the anti-tourism movement took hold, adding: 'There's an undercurrent of not being as welcome from people in the bars and restaurants. The Sun explores Majorca 'When they hear you're English, they're not interested.' Friends Sally Wilford, 50, and Tracey Brown, 56, in Llucmajor, vowed: 'We'll just lie on towels.' Barista Sally insisted the ploy to cut tourism will not work, adding: 'The plane was full on our way out.' Activists are still not satisfied with the beds cut and are threatening to block tourists from beaches. Pere Joan, 26, of Less Tourism, More Life, said: 'If we increase action, then maybe politicians will take the problem seriously.' 4 Protesters chanting slogans at tourists in Palma de Majorca Credit: Reuters Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
The Sun
16-06-2025
- The Sun
Brits outsmart angry anti-tourist protesters with simple tactic after 1000s of sunbeds in Majorca were scrapped
GROUCHY beach bosses are scrapping nearly a quarter of Majorca's sunbeds on popular beaches in a bid to put off tourists. Hundreds of recliners for hire have already gone ahead of this year's summer invasion — in a cull set to see 1,700 shifted from the sands by 2026. 4 4 4 Officials are also planning to take away hundreds of parasols from next year after locals said there was nowhere for them to sunbathe. It comes after Majorcans protested against mass tourism taking over. On Sunday, 10,000 locals joined a march condemning holidaymakers swamping resorts and forcing them out of their homes. Police even scuffled with a menacing crowd who had ringed a popular restaurant to chant at tourist diners. Playa de Palma is reportedly set to lose most sunbeds, from 6,000 to 4,436. But Brits have vowed to carry on sunbathing by simply taking their towels and lying on the sand. Hairdresser Nigel Oxby, 53, from Doncaster, who was holidaying in Playa de Palma with his family, said: 'I'll just come down with my towel if I really want to go to the beach. 'There's tons of other beaches with nothing on them. 'If you're a local and you don't like tourists, then there's other places to go.' He said he does not feel as welcome on the island since the anti-tourism movement took hold, adding: 'There's an undercurrent of not being as welcome from people in the bars and restaurants. The Sun explores Majorca 'When they hear you're English, they're not interested.' Friends Sally Wilford, 50, and Tracey Brown, 56, in Llucmajor, vowed: 'We'll just lie on towels.' Barista Sally insisted the ploy to cut tourism will not work, adding: 'The plane was full on our way out.' Activists are still not satisfied with the beds cut and are threatening to block tourists from beaches. Pere Joan, 26, of Less Tourism, More Life, said: 'If we increase action, then maybe politicians will take the problem seriously.' 4
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Majorca's lazy anti-tourism campaign attacks middle-class visitors
First it was the occupation of beaches. Then there were mass demonstrations. Now, the Majorcan anti-tourism protest movement is resorting to artificial intelligence to get its voice heard. A protest group from the town of Soller has launched an Instagram page called 'Welcome to Sollerland', posting AI-generated images highlighting the problems of overtourism in the area. Soller is a popular town in the north of Majorca, known for its handsome port and historic tramline. However, it has suffered from serious overcrowding in recent years, and plans to launch a 'non-resident traffic zone' in the centre of town to reduce tourist traffic. Just last week, the Sa Mola tunnel entering the town had to close due to heavy traffic. The account has posted a variety of AI-generated scenes. These include cartoons of people stacked high on a tram, thousands of people swarming Repic beach, swarms of tourists in sunhats taking selfies, and images of locals holding up signs in Catalan. One computer-generated child stands on the beach holding up a sign saying 'jo jugava aqui' – 'I played here', for example. Or a man in a crowded square: 'I used to drink coffee here.' 'If you ask AI what this summer will be like in Soller, this is the answer,' the protest group says. Municipal figures suggest that residents own 3,000 cars compared to the 20,000 which can occupy the town on busier days. I am sympathetic to the mass tourism protest movement across Europe, and appreciate that the residents of islands like Majorca are at their wits' end. Joana Maria Estrany Vallespir, a leading voice of the protest group SOS Residents, says the plight of locals went far beyond the obvious things like busy beaches and boozy Brits. 'There is a scarcity of water,' she said. 'Hospitals and public places are full. Rich foreigners buy houses in the countryside, but they don't live here. Our way of life is being threatened.' It is understandable and right that Majorcans are making a stand. Wouldn't you, if you had to wake up at the crack of dawn to visit your favourite beach? If a drive that used to take 10 minutes now takes 30? And while I appreciate the ingenuity (and headline-grabbing credentials) of this AI campaign, it misses the mark. If the tourism problem in Soller is so bad, show us. Wouldn't it be more effective to get an actual resident to go and stand in Plaza de la Constitucion in Soller to hold up that sign? If anything, the use of AI may arouse suspicion that the problem isn't as bad as they are saying. An opportunity missed, and a good example of how AI images can't replicate the emotional impact and credibility of human action. This isn't to say a bit of photo tinkering can't be effective. I recall a campaign from 2023 by the UK accommodation site, Canopy & Stars, where they took stills from three popular UK sites over 48 hours (Durdle Door, St Ives and the Lake District) and layered them up to show the scale of footfall over that period. That was clever. Welcome to Sollerland feels lazy, not least because it would have taken less than a minute to create each of these images. Their end goal is also confusing. These hastily thrown together images of cycling groups and selfie-taking tourists aren't going to change the minds of policymakers in the Balearic Government. And, obviously, the locals already know what's going on. Which means they are hoping to educate the tourists themselves. If this is the case (and yes, I am aware of the irony here) using English on the placards would have had a far greater impact. This is why you so often see 'tourists go home' written on the banners or scrawled on walls, rather than the Catalan equivalent. If protest groups want to get heard by politicians, they need to mobilise and continue to demonstrate in great numbers as they did throughout 2024. As I am sure they will. And if they want to get a message across to tourists via the international media, they need to be smarter, wittier and more creative with their direct action. Last year locals continually traversed a zebra crossing in Galicia. In the Balearics we have seen bogus signs at beaches warning of deadly jellyfish. In Venice, on the day the entry charge was launched last year, locals unveiled a great banner saying 'Welcome to Veniceland'. These will go down in the history books chronicling the great European war against mass tourism. The AI Welcome to Sollerland campaign, I am afraid, will not. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
