Latest news with #MenysTurisme
Daily Record
03-07-2025
- Daily Record
Spanish island 'no longer welcoming' to British holidaymakers
Locals are growing increasingly frustrated with the influx of visitors Warnings are being sounded for British tourists who may be anticipating a warm reception in Mallorca this summer, as tensions escalate. There have been widespread protests and increasing demands to limit tourism, indicating a challenging relationship between the island and holidaymakers. April's figures from Palma Airport revealed 1.1 million international visitors, marking a 12.9 per cent surge from the previous year, with the Balearic Islands experiencing the fastest growth in Spain. June witnessed thousands of residents parading through the streets calling for stricter regulations on tourism. The group Menys Turisme, Més Vida was seen carrying banners proclaiming: "We want our island back". Travel analyst Yasim Pekel from Blue Cruise said: "Tensions like this are becoming more common in overcrowded hotspots, and Mallorca is just the latest example. "It's not about hating visitors, it's about protecting their space and way of life. Tourists can still have an amazing trip, but it helps to be a little more aware, a little less loud, and a lot more respectful." To avoid inadvertently aggravating locals, here are some pointers from Yassim: Avoid peak times at beaches and attractions - go early or explore lesser-known spots. Support local businesses, not just tourist traps - eat, shop, and book with residents where possible. Take your rubbish with you - even in remote spots. Leave nothing behind. Keep the noise down - especially in residential areas or during siesta hours. Respect local signage, even if it seems fake - never remove or challenge it. Be curious, not careless - learn a few phrases, read up on local customs, and show interest beyond the 'Insta spots'. Similar pressures are mounting in destinations such as Venice, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, and the Canary Islands. Amsterdam is actively discouraging British tourists from using the city for stag dos or drug-related holidays. France, Greece, and Portugal are tightening rules, establishing noise controls, enforcing cruise ship limitations, and setting restrictions on rentals to counteract the effects of tourism on residents.
Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Mallorca's six new rules for tourists as island 'not welcoming holidaymakers'
Travel experts have explained what you now need to do after recent mass protests and 'fake signs' British tourists are being warned they might not receive the warm welcome they're expecting this summer, especially in Mallorca, where tensions between locals and visitors are boiling over. With fake 'beach closed' signs, mass protests, and growing calls to curb tourism, experts say the island's relationship with holidaymakers is under serious strain. Palma Airport saw 1.1 million international arrivals in April alone, a 12.9% rise year-on-year, with the Balearics recording the fastest growth across Spain. In June, thousands of locals marched through the streets demanding tighter controls. Protestors from Menys Turisme, Més Vida held signs reading: 'We want our island back'. Yasim Pekel, a travel expert at Blue Cruise, said: 'Tensions like this are becoming more common in overcrowded hotspots, and Mallorca is just the latest example. It's not about hating visitors, it's about protecting their space and way of life. Tourists can still have an amazing trip, but it helps to be a little more aware, a little less loud, and a lot more respectful." Yassim's tips for navigating 'less-than-welcoming' destinations: Avoid peak times at beaches and attractions - go early or explore lesser-known spots. Support local businesses, not just tourist traps - eat, shop, and book with residents where possible. Take your rubbish with you - even in remote spots. Leave nothing behind. Keep the noise down - especially in residential areas or during siesta hours. Respect local signage, even if it seems fake - never remove or challenge it. Be curious, not careless - learn a few phrases, read up on local customs, and show interest beyond the 'Insta spots'. Similar tensions are growing in Venice, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, and the Canary Islands. Amsterdam has even launched a campaign asking British tourists not to visit for stag and hen parties or drug tourism. Meanwhile, France, Greece, and Portugal are introducing stricter regulations, including noise restrictions, cruise ship bans, and rental caps, as residents push back against tourism's impact. How to be part of the solution Slow travel is on the rise; staying longer in fewer places reduces pressure on communities. Book local guides, stay in family-run hotels, and engage with cultural events; these help shift tourism from extractive to meaningful. Ultimately, respect goes further than saying 'hola', and it might just help keep your favourite destinations open to visitors.
The Sun
21-06-2025
- The Sun
Mastermind of furious anti-tourist protests in Majorca targeting Brits unmasked as boy, 16, inspired by Greta Thunberg
THE mastermind behind anti-tourist protests in Majorca targeting Brits has been unmasked as a 16-year-old boy inspired by Greta Thunberg. 7 7 7 7 Using Greta Thungburg as his inspiration, he confessed, Jaume Pujol is slowly becoming the fresh face of the movement - despite only just finishing the Spanish equivalent of GCSEs. Last weekend, anti-tourist protests swept across holiday hotspot towns and cities from the Balearic and Canary Islands to northern Spain, Portugal and Italy. They were organised and executed by the Southern European Network Against Tourism. In Palma on Sunday afternoon, anti-tourist demonstrators swarmed a table of dining Brits and chanted "go home" and "go to hell". One protester was even caught wielding an axe amid the deafening jeers. Jaume was in Palma on this day, being an organiser of the Majorcan group Menys Turisme, Mes Vida. Last Saturday he gave a live YouTube commentary as he and his fellow protesters stopped a sightseeing bus, hung banners over it and set off yellow smoke-bombs as terrified passengers watched on in horror. And on Sunday, Jaume stood on a platform to read out the group's three-page "manifesto". He said as thousands of supporters cheered: "The tourism model, whether luxury or mass, chokes us year after year, grabs economic and residential resources, destroys the territory, exploits the working class, contributes to climate crisis, and shatters our communities." He added how young people couldn't afford to live on their own island anymore due to foreigners buying properties. Anti-tourist protesters blast holidaymakers with water guns & block hotels Jaume's interest in protesting began at a young age when his trade unionist granddad took him on marches. And while his parents are "proud," Jaume revealed to Diario de Mallorca how they're also scared for him. He said: "I've received death threats, and they painted 'We're going to kill you' on the door of my school." As tourists continue to fear of chaos unravelling on their holidays with protests, Jaume told the Daily Mail that they have nothing to fear as he and his comrades' actions are directed towards the Balearic Islands' government. The march in Palma followed a similar string of incidents in Barcelona, where an anti-tourist mob surrounded a hotel and shot at holidaymakers with water pistols. Congregating outside the hotel, the group launched flares and held placards claiming tourism was robbing them of their futures. Staff at a nearby hotel were seen trying to break up the crowds and shouting at protesters to move away. Police stepped in before protesters could reach the famous tourist hot-spot la Sagrada Familia, avoiding potential clashes between holidaymakers and locals. Shouts of 'Tourists Go Home' and 'One More Tourist, One Less Local' could be heard as activists marched through the streets. They were also heard shouting: 'This tourism is terrorism.' City police said only 600 people had taken part, far less than the 8,000 who took part in the protest in Palma. Other marches took place in the Basque city of San Sebastian, several cities in Italy and in Lisbon as part of a co-ordinated series of street protests in southern Europe. What is overtourism? Overtourism refers to the phenomenon where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism Some solutions include: Safeguarding historical and heritage sites Promoting off-peak travel Tourism caps and regulations Promoting lesser-known destinations 7 7 7
Sky News
15-06-2025
- Sky News
Anti-tourism protesters - some armed with water pistols - call for change in Spain, Italy and Portugal
Protesters in Spain, Italy and Portugal are calling for a curb on mass tourism - with Barcelona organisers telling demonstrators to bring water pistols to shoot at holidaymakers. Campaigners say excessive levels of tourism are forcing locals out of affordable housing, raising the cost of living and making the city centres unusable. The latest in a growing number of protests in recent years, anti-mass tourism demonstrations were planned in Barcelona as well as in seven other Spanish cities, including Granada, Palma and Ibiza. Protests were also seen in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, as well as in Italian hotspots Venice, Genova, Palermo, Milan and Naples, according to announcements issued by several of the organising groups. It comes after Sky News reported on makeshift camps on the island of Ibiza, where dozens live with no electricity, water or waste services. The Menys Turisme Mes Vida (Less Tourism More Life) campaign group had told us: "We say enough to the destruction of the territory, to the precariousness, to the housing crisis, to the loss of rights." 10:30 Daniel Pardo, one of the organisers of the Barcelona protest, told the Associated Press: "It is very likely the water pistols will be back. "In fact, we encourage people to bring their own." Txema Escorsa, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Barcelona's residential Gràcia neighbourhood, also told the news agency: "It is tough for me to imagine what to do next. "If I leave, will I be contributing to Barcelona losing its essence that comes from its locals? But there comes a time when I'm fed up." He added that he has stopped using Airbnb when travelling, saying that "in the end, you realise that this is taking away housing from people". Jaime Rodriguez de Santiago, Airbnb's general director for Spain and Portugal, said that "a lot of our politicians have found an easy scapegoat to blame for the inefficiencies of their policies in terms of housing and tourism over the last 10, 15, 20 years". "If you look at the over-tourism problem in Spain, it has been brewing for decades, and probably since the 60s," he added. Mr Rodríguez de Santiago noted that hotels are still the leading accommodation for tourists - with hotels in Barcelona accounting for 20 million tourists in 2024, compared with 12 million who used homes, according to local data. He also pointed out Barcelona's mayor Jaume Collboni backing the expansion of the city's international airport. International travel spending in Europe is expected to rise by 11% to £617bn this year, with Spain and France among the countries set to receive record numbers of tourists. Spain hosted a record 94 million international visitors in 2024, compared with 83 million in 2019. According to studies cited by its economy minister, the country could see as many as 100 million tourists this year.
Scottish Sun
14-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Anti-tourist protesters take over sightseeing coach in Majorca with smoke bombs ahead of mass march tomorrow
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SPANISH protesters held up a sightseeing bus in Palma de Majorca ahead of a major anti-tourism demonstration tomorrow. The goal of the act was to 'denounce the touristification and commercialisation' of the popular Spanish island, the group said. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Protesters held up a sightseeing bus in the Majorcan capital of Palma Credit: @menysturisme / instagram 4 Campaigners from 'Menys Turisme, Més Vida' (Less Tourism, More Life) held up signs reading 'For The Right To A Dignified Life' Credit: @menysturisme / instagram 4 Yellow smoke flares were seen in the protest Credit: @menysturisme / instagram Campaigners from 'Menys Turisme, Més Vida' (Less Tourism, More Life) staged the protest in the Majorcan capital city of Palma. They halted the bus, climbing onto it and unfurling a banner calling for an end to mass tourism. In a video shared on its social media account, the group said it is 'tired' and 'ready to break the tourism status quo'. It believes it's urgent to change the model to one that prioritises the well-being of the local population over the interests of the tourism industry. The group called on locals to join Sunday's demo at 6pm in Plaza de España. Thousands across the Balearic Islands - along with other parts of Spain - are expected to take part tomorrow. They are demanding the right to better housing, decent work, environmental sustainability and quality public services. It comes as Spain's first major overtourism protests of the year kicked off in April after thousands of people across 40 cities took to the streets. Majorca, one of the centres of the protests last year, hosted the first mass protests of the year. Nearly 40 organisations from the Balearic Islands are believed to have marched in Palma. Thousands of anti-tourist protesters flood Spanish hols hotspots & call on mob to super glue holiday rental locks The slogan of the protest was 'Let's end the housing crisis'. One anti-AirBnb campaign urged Majorcan locals to vandalise key boxes outside rentals by supergluing their locks. Later, in May, thousands flooded the streets of the Canary Islands in Spain's third wave of protests against overtourism this year. Demonstrations took place across the Spanish archipelago's islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. The slogan of the march was: "The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended." Other banners read: "The Canary Islands have a limit and so does our patience" and "Enough is enough!" The anti-mass tourism movement in Spain began gaining serious momentum in April 2024. Locals have been demanding an end to the problems associated with mass tourism, including pollution, traffic chaos and the lack of affordable housing. What is overtourism? Overtourism refers to the phenomenon where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism Some solutions include: Safeguarding historical and heritage sites Promoting off-peak travel Tourism caps and regulations Promoting lesser-known destinations
