The upcoming Mallorca protests urge a balance between tourism and resident life.Photo Credit: Jose Manuel Esp via Unsplash
It’s no secret that this summer, Mallorca will be buzzing with activity. Even now, the National Statistics Institute has reported a 13.5% increase of all foreign tourism within the Balearic region of Spain. In fact, in Mallorca, April was met with such a high volume of people that one of the main roads was brought to a complete standstill.
Of course, with an influx of tourism comes inflated prices, and locals are finding it more and more difficult to afford the skyrocketing price tags in the middle of the Mallorca housing crisis. So, it comes as no surprise that on Sunday, June 15th, locals have scheduled a large-scale peaceful protest that will involve over sixty different groups of people, all with the hope of making a positive change for the people who call the island home.
According to the protest manifesto that was read out loud in Parc de la Mar in Palma, Mallorca, the intent of the protests is not to completely reject tourism but instead to urge the government to put fair limitations on the growth of it: “It is urgent to put limits on the growth of tourism, to demand a change of direction and to point the way to degrowth as a solution to the overexploitation of our resources and the exclusion of residents,” the manifesto read.
Protests are also expected in many other cities, including Barcelona, Ibiza, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia, to name a few.
In short, residents insist that balance is key: Mallorca is a gorgeous island that many wish to visit, but finding a healthy middle ground so the local population isn’t affected by exponentially steep prices and housing crises is imperative.
