Travel agents ‘should cancel’ holidays in Spain, Mallorca and Tenerife as anti-tourism protests rage

British tourists are warning they may not travel to Spain this summer due to growing anti-tourism protests. Thousands of people took to the streets in the Balearic Islands to protest against mass tourism and overcrowding – despite the fact that tourism accounts for around 45% of the islands’ gross domestic product.

One of the large-scale demonstrations saw almost 10,000 people marching through the streets of the capital Mallorca at the end of May, carrying signs reading “Residents SOS” and “Enough of mass tourism”. Protesters say vacation rentals put locals on edge and affect things like access to housing, water management and the island’s economic diversification.

A spokesman for Spain’s national police said around 10,000 people took part in a protest in Mallorca, while protests also took place on the mainland – including Barcelona. People are calling for “sustainable tourism”.

Britons are now threatening not to travel to Spain for their holidays because of the nuisance on the island. Responding to the demonstrations on Facebook, one Briton said: “The Spanish in particular are quick to take holiday money.” A second said: “All UK travel agents should cancel holidays to Spain, Mallorca and Tenerife due to unfriendly actions against their customers and possible court cases.”

According to BirminghamLive, another said: “Go to Turkey it’s very hot in August…cheap to eat and drink and really good value we’ve been several times and never had a bad time, the locals are friendly with you

“We went out to dinner one night and after we finished we had a coffee and asked for a Brandy with it and they didn’t have Brandy and they sent someone over and he came back with a bottle of Brandy and gave us one each bottle per house. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.”

Javier Vich, who is president of the Palma Hotels Association and CEO of Summum Hotel Group, fears fewer travelers will book holidays to the Balearic Island after reading reports of the protests. He said: “It is very hard to build a destination and very easy to destroy it.”

“There are customers who ask at the reception what is happening on the streets,” adds Mr. Vich. “It is true that we have a problem.”

The Balearic Group of Ornithology and Nature Protection of Menorca (GOB Menorca) said on its website that it was protesting against “overcrowding, the problem of access to housing, water management and the economic diversification of the island”.

Another demonstration is scheduled for June 16 in Palma, with plans being discussed for protests in the Balearic Islands – Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera – on July 21. After Catalonia, the Balearic Islands were the second most popular region in Spain for tourists. year, attracting 14.4 million tourists, Spain’s National Institute of Statistics said.