Latest news with #overtourism
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
The real impact of overtourism protests on visitor numbers
Mallorca tourism officials have reported a decline in visitor numbers this year, following a series of overtourism protests on the popular Balearic island. Industry representatives across the hotel, hospitality, and transport sectors confirm a decrease in tourist footfall, with some restaurants reporting up to a 40 per cent drop in customer numbers. The Restaurants Association in Mallorca (CAEB) has warned that many establishments could be forced to close in 2025 due to the significant reduction in visitors. Protests against mass tourism took place in Palma in June, with around 10,000 participants, echoing similar demonstrations from the previous year. Despite the reported decline, tourism minister Jaume Bauzà maintains that overall visitor numbers to Mallorca remain high, and a 'positive communications campaign' has been launched to promote the island's hospitality.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Mallorca visitor numbers drop following overtourism protests
Mallorca tourism officials are reporting a drop in visitor numbers this year following a series of overtourism protests on the popular Balearic island. According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, industry representatives across the hotel, hospitality and transport sectors have reported a decrease in tourist footfall. A significant drop in holidaymakers from the UK and Germany could be due to unwelcoming messages seen across Europe, said Pedro Fiol, head of the travel agency group Aviba. Juanmi Ferrer, of the Restaurants Association in Mallorca (CAEB), warned that restaurants across the island may be forced to shut down in 2025, reported the outlet. Some are reporting as much as a 40 per cent decrease in customer numbers. Similar visitor declines have been seen in several municipalities, including busy tourist towns Soller and Capdepera, according to the Mallorca Hotel Business Federation (FEHM). Elsewhere, excursion and transport take-up rates are said to be suffering from the lack of Mallorca's usual summer visitors. In June, protesters took to the streets of Palma to demand an end to the 'touristification' of their communities. Around 10,000 protesters also took part in a similar demonstration in July of last year. People carried models of planes and cruise ships, plus posters reading 'no to mass tourism' and 'stop private jets'. Nonetheless, tourism minister Jaume Bauzà maintains that overall visitor numbers to Mallorca remain high. In 2024, an estimated 15.3 million international holidaymakers visited the Balearics. On 14 July, FEHM announced the launch of a 'positive communications campaign' to highlight Mallorca 's tourism potential. Under the slogan 'Tourist, thank you for visiting Mallorca', the group 'seeks to remind everyone that we are a hospitable, open society, proud of our tourism vocation, in contrast to the rejectionist rhetoric'.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Hawaii becomes latest tourist spot to tackle effect of holiday rentals
Lawmakers on Maui passed legislation on Thursday aimed at eliminating a large percentage of the Hawaiian island's vacation rentals to address a housing shortage exacerbated by the wildfire that destroyed most of Lahaina two years ago. It's the latest action by a top global tourist destination to push back against the infiltration of vacationers into residential neighborhoods and tourism overwhelming their communities. In May, Spain ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform for having violated rules. Last month, thousands of protesters in European cities like Barcelona and Venice, Italy, marched against the ills of overtourism. The Maui County Council's housing committee voted 6-3 to pass the bill, which would close a loophole that has allowed owners of condos in apartment zones to rent their units for days or weeks at a time instead of a minimum of 180 days. The mandate would take effect in the West Maui district that includes Lahaina in 2028. The rest of the county would have until 2030 to comply. The council still needs to vote on the bill, but the committee's result is a strong indication of the final outcome because all nine council members sit on the housing panel. The mayor is expected to sign the bill, which he proposed. "Bill 9 is a critical first step in restoring our commitment to prioritize housing for local residents — and securing a future where our keiki can live, grow, and thrive in the place they call home,' Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement, using the Hawaiian word for children. Vacation rentals currently account for 21% of all housing in the county, which has a population of about 165,000 people. An analysis by University of Hawaii economists predicted the measure would add 6,127 units to Maui's long-term housing stock, increasing supply by 13%. Opponents questioned whether local residents could afford the condos in question, noting that many of the buildings they are in are aging and their units come with high mortgages, insurance payments, maintenance and special assessment costs. Alicia Humiston said her condo is in a hotel zone so it won't be affected. But she predicted the measure will will hurt housekeepers, plumbers, electricians and other small business owners who help maintain vacation rentals. 'It's not what's best for the the community,' said Humiston, who is president of the Rentals by Owner Awareness Association. Bissen proposed the legislation last year after wildfire survivors and activists camped out on a beach popular with tourists to demand change. The University of Hawaii study said because only about 600 new housing units are built in the county each year, converting the vacation rentals would be equivalent to a decade's worth of new housing development. Condo prices would drop 20-40%, the study estimated. The report also predicted one-quarter of Maui County's visitor accommodations would disappear and visitor spending would sink 15%. It estimated gross domestic product would contract by 4%. The mayor said such economic analysis failed to tell a full story, noting families are torn apart when high housing costs drive out relatives and that cultural knowledge disappears when generations leave Maui. The mayor told the council the bill was one part of a broader housing strategy that would include building new housing, investing in infrastructure and stopping illegally operated vacation rentals. He said there were limits to how much new housing could be built because of constraints on water supplies and sewer infrastructure. Tourism would continue on Maui but must do so in a way 'that doesn't hollow out our neighborhoods,' the mayor said. The mayor's staff told council members that visitor spending would decline with the measure but most of the drop would be on lodging. Because 94% of those who own vacation rentals in apartment zones don't live on Maui, they said much of this income already flows off-island. They predicted the county budget could withstand an estimated $61 million decline in annual tax revenue resulting from the measure.
Fast Company
5 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
New Maui legislation passes, aims to boost housing supply after destructive Lahaina wildfire
Lawmakers on Maui passed legislation Thursday aimed at eliminating a large percentage of the Hawaiian island's vacation rentals to address a housing shortage exacerbated by the wildfire that destroyed most of Lahaina two years ago. It's the latest action by a top global tourist destination to push back against the infiltration of vacationers into residential neighborhoods and tourism overwhelming their communities. In May, Spain ordered Airbnb to block more than 65,000 holiday listings on its platform for having violated rules. Last month, thousands of protesters in European cities like Barcelona and Venice, Italy, marched against the ills of overtourism. The Maui County Council's housing committee voted 6-3 to pass the bill, which would close a loophole that has allowed owners of condos in apartment zones to rent their units for days or weeks at a time instead of a minimum of 180 days. The mandate would take effect in the West Maui district that includes Lahaina in 2028. The rest of the county would have until 2030 to comply. The council still needs to vote on the bill, but the committee's result is a strong indication of the final outcome because all nine council members sit on the housing panel. The mayor is expected to sign the bill, which he proposed. 'Bill 9 is a critical first step in restoring our commitment to prioritize housing for local residents — and securing a future where our keiki can live, grow, and thrive in the place they call home,' Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said in a statement, using the Hawaiian word for children. Vacation rentals take up one-fifth of Maui's housing Vacation rentals currently account for 21% of all housing in the county, which has a population of about 165,000 people. An analysis by University of Hawaii economists predicted the measure would add 6,127 units to Maui's long-term housing stock, increasing supply by 13%. Opponents questioned whether local residents could afford the condos in question, noting that many of the buildings they are in are aging and their units come with high mortgages, insurance payments, maintenance and special assessment costs. Alicia Humiston said her condo is in a hotel zone so it won't be affected. But she predicted the measure will hurt housekeepers, plumbers, electricians and other small business owners who help maintain vacation rentals. 'It's not what's best for the the community,' said Humiston, who is president of the Rentals by Owner Awareness Association. Bissen proposed the legislation last year after wildfire survivors and activists camped out on a beach popular with tourists to demand change. Mayor says tourism will continue but must not 'hollow out our neighborhoods' The University of Hawaii study said only about 600 new housing units are built in the county each year so converting the vacation rentals would be equivalent to a decade's worth of new housing development. Condo prices would drop 20-40%, the study estimated. The report also predicted one-quarter of Maui County's visitor accommodations would vanish and visitor spending would sink 15%. It estimated gross domestic product would contract by 4%. The mayor said such economic analysis failed to tell a full story, noting families are torn apart when high housing costs drive out relatives and that cultural knowledge disappears when generations leave Maui. The mayor told the council the bill was one part of a broader housing strategy that would include building new housing, investing in infrastructure and stopping illegally operated vacation rentals. He said there were limits to how much new housing could be built because of constraints on water supplies and sewer infrastructure. Tourism would continue on Maui but must do so in a way 'that doesn't hollow out our neighborhoods,' the mayor said. The mayor's staff told council members that visitor spending would decline with the measure but most of the drop would be on lodging. Because 94% of those who own vacation rentals in apartment zones don't live on Maui, they said much of this income already flows off-island. They predicted the county budget could withstand an estimated $61 million decline in annual tax revenue resulting from the measure. —Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is tonight, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Locals in popular Italian destination buy 'Island of Death' to escape tourists
Locals in Venice have taken some very decisive action against over-tourism in the Lagoon City, by purchasing an island that's only for them - with just one catch, it has a very creepy past. Poveglia, a speck of land between Venice and its Lido in the Venetian Lagoon, is set to become an idyll for those who live in the popular Italian city break need their own break from the 30 million tourists who pour in annually. Next month will see an activist group Poveglia per Tutti (Poveglia for Everyone) start to transform a section of the island into an island playground for Venetians. With a six-year lease in place, the group says it will prevent development on Poveglia, preserving it for Venetiaans. The island has a dark backstory though; it was known as the 'Island of Death' thanks to the role it played as a quarantine station for people suffering from the plague in the 1700s. It's thought that around 160,000 people lost their lives on the tiny isle as the Black Death ravaged Italy in the 18th century. Venice's population has dwindled in recent years with factors such as an ageing demographic and locals leaving the city contributing to the falling residency - there are currently just over 48,000 people who call the city their permanent home. The city introduced its tourist tax last year, charging tourists five euros per person to visit the fragile lagoon city during peak times - and cruise ships can no longer dock close to the city, with passengers now docked miles away and bussed in. Poveglia is made up of three islands, one of the three is given over to nature, one was used as a fort to defend the island and the main island houses Poveglia's creepy abandoned buildings. There's a deserted hospital and a prison which many believe are haunted. These derelict buildings are the reason why tourists have been forbidden from visiting Poveglia as their decrepit state makes them dangerous to explore. A few exceptions on the ban have been granted for filmmakers. Although Poveglia was once home to a small community, it was first abandoned in the 14th century due to conflict. And a few centuries later, it was to become hell on earth. In the late 1700s, those showing any symptoms of the deadly Black Death were taken there, often against their will. It wasn't long before the 18-acre island became a mass grave site and it's thought that 160,000 plague victims were buried there. Many people believe that as much as 50 per cent of the island's soil today is made up of ash and the decomposed bodies of those who died there. Legend says that the island is haunted by those who passed away in Poveglia. The island later housed an asylum before being completed deserted. Despite the ban, British explorers Matt Nadin and Andy Thompson managed to travel to the island in 2020, and shared what they found on their YouTube channel, Finders Beepers History Seekers. Matt told viewers: 'The island is so full of dark, dark history, a hell of a lot of people died there and you really get a sense of the horrors that took place there while you're walking around. 'They burnt all the bodies and left them where they lay. The island has never really been cleared properly or anything so everything has just been left. 'Later on, when it was turned into an asylum, and because people were shoved there out of the way of prying eyes, they started to do experiments on them, horrible, horrible stuff.' Despite its dark past, Matt said it was still possible to tell from the site's tiles and archways that it would once have been a 'beautiful building'. And the pair added that it was easy to tell that no one had visited Poveglia in years, as there was no graffiti on the island, just 'natural decay'. Matt revealed that the pair 'heard the bell toll' while they were there and adds 'that did actually freak me out a little bit'. But Poveglia is far from the world's only abandoned island. The world might know the Maldives for its picture-postcard villas, turquoise waters, and once-in-a-lifetime luxury escapes. But one island in the middle of this tropical paradise tells a completely different story - one of decay, mystery and ambitious plans left abandoned. In a video uploaded to YouTube in 2023, Australian filmmaker and surfer Kale Brock explained that while on the retreat in the Maldives, he and his group had spotted a 'mysterious' island in the distance and convinced their guide to take them there. What they discovered was straight out of a movie - more Jurassic Park than five-star luxury getaway.
