Yahoo News Spain tourists raise fears as protests lead to cancellations in holiday hotspot
More Brits are considering cancelling their getaways to Spain amid ongoing protests against over tourism across the country, according to a leading regional holiday company.
UK visitors heading to the popular destination have been warned that they may encounter a hostile reception, after thousands of people gathered in Majorca's (Mallorca) capital city Palma to protest the impact of tourism on the Balearic Island at the start of summer holiday season this year. Subsequent protests have been held across the islands on the streets of Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera in July.
And the growing anti-tourism sentiment is having an impact, with some UK holidaymakers calling for a "boycott" on trips to several popular Spanish destinations. Habtur Balears, a holiday rentals firm on the Balearic Islands, said it has been getting calls from customers in the UK asking whether Majorca was "dangerous" and if they could come to harm there following the demonstrations, The Mirror reports.
Manager Maria Gilbert told Diario de Mallorca: "Long-standing clients who have been coming to Majorca for years and had already made their reservation this year have called - after seeing the news - to cancel." Referring to calls the association was getting from places like Germany and the UK, she added: "We get questions asking us if it's dangerous to go to Majorca, are they going to hurt us?”
Yoann Blanc, co-owner of holiday rentals specialist Alquilair, told the newspaper: "We've been receiving calls for weeks now from guests who are worried about the news of tourism-phobia. A few days ago a family who were in a holiday rental property in Bunyola found the windshield on their hire car covered with stickers saying 'Tourist go home'."
In May, approximately 10,000 protesters marched through the streets of Palma to highlight issues including overcrowding, destruction of the island, and a lack of protection for residents, claiming that the current tourism model is "pushing Majorca to the limit", according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. More than 2.3 million Brits jet off to Majorca each year, accounting for around a quarter of the island's tourist traffic.
Més per Mallorca, the Majorcan coalition, is calling for a reduction in the number of flights at Palma airport, saying: "Majorca is no longer overcrowded, Majorca is experiencing collapse." In the face of mounting "social unrest", the Balearic Government has begun meetings to "lay the foundations for a new tourism model" and combat congestion on the islands.
Spain is not the only Mediterranean country popular with Brits that has seen growing anti-tourism sentiment in recent months, with graffiti appearing on the walls of Athens in May as protests flared up in Greece. Messages including 'tourists go home' were daubed on walls of the ancient capital, with residents complaining about huge flocks of tourists blocking streets and causing excessive noise while the spread of Airbnbs and other holiday lets is being blamed for rising property prices.
