A protest group in Majorca is planning to stage a demonstration during peak holiday season amid growing anti-tourism sentiment across Spain
Demonstrators have complained that the beaches of Majorca are ‘becoming a theme park'(Image: Getty Images)
Brits heading to Spain for their summer holidays could face more disruption after plans for further protests were announced in a tourist hotspot. Demonstrations staged by frustrated locals on the impact of over-tourism are becoming an increasingly common occurrence across the country and its islands.
The latest planned protest comes from the Mallorca Platja Tour group, who has announced that it will soon be calling on its members to occupy a beach on the island. The movement is made up of locals campaigning to be able to enjoy the island’s beaches, which are often packed full of holidaymakers in the summer months – leaving little to no room for residents.
The location of the demonstration has not yet been confirmed, meaning tourists visiting any of the 262 beaches across Majorca in the coming weeks could see their sunbathing disrupted, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reports. The protest group told its residents: “Get your towels, umbrellas, and banners ready because we will carry out another symbolic occupation of a beach in Mallorca.”
The movement has complained that the island “is becoming a theme park” as a result of growing tourist numbers, with around 2.3 million Brits flocking to Majorca each year. One of the most popular destinations is the capital city of Palma, famous for the huge Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria that overlooks the Bay of Palma with its golden sands and crystal blue waters.
Residents hope to establish beach areas that can only be used by residents, and Mallorca Platja Tour staged three beach demonstrations last year as part of the campaign. This latest new protest announcement comes amid tourists being warned that they could face a “summer of discontent” when they visit Spain this year.
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Demonstrators are said to be planning to “redouble efforts” in a continued bid to encourage authorities to take measures to address the impact of over-tourism. Earlier this month, the protest group Menys Turisme Més Vida, which means Less Tourism More Life, staged a mass protest across Spain with demonstrations in the likes of Ibiza, Alicante and Barcelona.
A statement read out by the protest group in Palma said: “Our territory is not for sale. It is urgent to put limits on the growth of tourism, to demand a change of direction and to point the way to de-growth as a solution to the overexploitation of our resources and the exclusion of residents.”
And it’s not just the Balearic Islands and the mainland where locals are making their feelings about tourists known. Over in the Canary Islands, protesters in Tenerife also confirmed back in the spring that they will be out in force again in the coming months, issuing a desperate message to tourists in a bid to discourage them from visiting.
Residents have argued that the archipelago is “reaching its limit” on tourist numbers, which they say is continuing to have a detrimental effect on the environment, housing and job security. Last year, a huge wave of demonstrations broke out across the Canary Islands to coincide with the school half term break in October, with thousands of protesters marching on the beaches.
It comes after the Canary Islands saw an influx of nearly 18 million tourists in 2024 – an “extraordinary” 10% increase compared to the previous year, according to Canarian Weekly. This was led by British holidaymakers, who accounted for more than 40% of all international arrivals, with the largest island of Tenerife remaining the most popular destination.
Meanwhile, the Balearic Government is said to be “redoubling efforts” to calm tourism markets in the face of renewed action from protesters. Spanish news outlets have reported that tour operators are being asked to facilitate a transition towards a more balanced distribution of tourist arrivals throughout the year.