Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Tourists heading to Spain’s Balearic Islands this summer could be met with more than just sunshine and sangria — an escalating anti-tourism movement is sweeping through Mallorca, Ibiza, and Menorca, and it’s about to peak just as holiday season begins.
Activist groups and angry locals are planning a wave of protests and disruptive actions to push back against what they call “unsustainable mass tourism.” Among the most alarming threats are beach occupations, padlocking apartment entrances, and public demonstrations targeting hotels and hotspots popular with foreign visitors — particularly Brits.
The message is clear: tourism is no longer welcome in the way it once was.
Last summer, over 10,000 protesters took to the streets of Palma de Mallorca, holding placards mocking British tourists and demanding “Fewer tourists, more dignity.” Calls to ban new hotel developments, slash flights, and hike tourist taxes are growing louder by the day. This year, campaigners have vowed to go further.
“Tourism is choking our islands,” said one activist quoted in local media. “We can’t afford to live here anymore, and our streets have become playgrounds for drunk foreigners.”
Adding fuel to the fire, hotel workers — also fed up with low wages despite booming tourism — have announced a series of strikes starting June 6. With union demands for a 19% wage hike clashing with employers’ offer of just 8.5%, widespread disruptions are expected during peak summer weeks.
Tourists may soon find themselves caught between protesting workers and angry residents, as the idyllic image of the Balearics gives way to social unrest and economic tension.
If you’re planning a holiday to Spain’s most popular islands, be prepared — the welcome may not be as warm as the weather.
