On Saturday, protesters marched through the Spanish island provinces of Menorca and Mallorca in an effort to voice their opposition to the “massification” of tourists.
Despite the fact that, according to figures from industry organization Exceltur, tourism contributes roughly 45% of the Balearic Islands’ GDP, protestors claim vacation rentals are driving away residents.
“We want the authorities to stop people who have not lived here more than five years from buying properties and to put more controls on holiday accommodation,” stated Carme Reines, a member of the collective that organized the protest in Palma de Mallorca.
Mallorcan real estate agent Javier Carbonell continued, saying, “We want more sustainable tourism, not more mass tourism.”
About 10,000 people participated in the protest in Mallorca, while a few hundred marched in Menorca, according to a spokesman for the Spanish National Police.
The group noted on social media that by showing up with deckchairs, towels, and sunglasses, the protesters transformed Menorca’s Plaza de la Biosfera into a makeshift beachfront.
It’s the most recent in a line of anti-mass tourism demonstrations on Spain’s islands.
The demonstrations in Menorca and Mallorca coincided with an anti-tourist march in Barcelona, and they happened just one day after about a thousand people protested in Ibiza.
