Majorca holidaymakers told ‘you are not welcome’ as messages spread across the resort

Anti-tourist messages telling tourists “you are not welcome” have been plastered all over a holiday hotspot in Mallorca. Locals in Palma’s Santa Catalina neighborhood have hung signs over doors and windows that read: “we are not your amusement park.”

The messages mark the latest in a growing trend of protests against tourism in the region. Issues have arisen throughout the year from protesters and campaigners, all complaining about how the impact of overcrowding by tourists is affecting local resources, property prices and even small-scale businesses – some individuals fear that larger firms are thriving, while the smaller ones are washed away due to the influx of tourists.

Santa Catalina, a popular destination, has become the latest area in Majorca to face tensions over tourism issues and its effects on locals, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports. Notices left on doors and windows read: “You are not welcome.

“Mass tourism displaces neighbors from their homes, wastes needed resources, destroys neighborhood culture, shuts down local commerce, drives up prices, creates precarious jobs and destroys heritage. We are not your amusement park.”

A local Swedish resident reportedly found one of the multiple hostile messages. The area would be a popular destination among foreign tourists, especially those from Sweden.

Last month, angry locals descended on a popular beach in Majorca, reiterating the tourists’ point by saying “go home”. They called for a limit on the number of visitors to address overcrowding and accessibility issues.

The island has seen several protests recently, with crowds calling for an overhaul of mass tourism. This dissatisfaction is echoed in other Spanish holiday havens such as the Canary Islands and Ibiza.

Earlier this year, the BBC highlighted the plight of a local chef who, due to rising rent prices after lockdown, was forced to live in his car. Protesters claim that tourist centers can use up to six times more water than local areas because of swimming pools and large hotels.

A campaign group in the Canary Islands summed up the sentiment of many in April during a protest, saying: “We have reached the point where the balance between the use of resources and the well-being of the population has broken down, especially in the last year. “, reports Express.