Majorca & tourists

[CaptJohn]

I've been following the demonstrations in Majorca against tourists and the issues that they cause. It's a difficult situation for locals because they enjoy the wealth that tourists bring to the island (45% of GDP generated by tourism) but at the same time it is creating issues with housing affordability, crowding & local services for them. Not to mention the stag and hen parties! There must be a status quo that satisfies both sides but right now I won't be going there given the hostility shown to Brits and Germans by the locals. Pity because I really love the place. What are the thoughts of other people on this board who have been there?

[karatekid]

Just returned from Paguera on Saturday. No problem at all. No protests and the hotel staff were fantastic. Out in a few bars in the evening and apart from a couple of miserable buggers serving in a bar the majority were very welcoming.

[Row x]

I've been following the demonstrations in Majorca against tourists and the issues that they cause. It's a difficult situation for locals because they enjoy the wealth that tourists bring to the island (45% of GDP generated by tourism) but at the same time it is creating issues with housing affordability, crowding & local services for them. Not to mention the stag and hen parties! There must be a status quo that satisfies both sides but right now I won't be going there given the hostility shown to Brits and Germans by the locals. Pity because I really love the place. What are the thoughts of other people on this board who have been there?

Not majorca, but I've been to the canaries a couple of times since the issues have been reported, with absolutely no problems. The locals say its the British press blowing it out of proportion, no surprise there then.

[Barlickclaret]

I not sure it's against the tourists. I think it's people buying property over there and then it's putting the prices up,which locals then can't afford.

[Stonehouse]

We have a friend that runs night trips up Teide and also has a restaurant towards the top , there’s no way he wants the Brits to stop away .Its probably the empty heads getting stoned every night that they could probably do without.

[Taffy on the wing]

I not sure it's against the tourists. I think it's people buying property over there and then it's putting the prices up,which locals then can't afford.

The Airbnb crowd is ruining things for a lot of places.....Greek Islands being a good example.
The people who work there can no longer afford to live there.

Villages in the UK have the same problem.
As for the Spanish..(Barcelona recently)....They really don't like Drunken slobs disturbing their lives....can't blame them....or using up precious groundwater to fill their swimming pools.

[KlyBfc]

Currently in Cala Bona absolutely no issues and no sign of any negativity towards tourists.

[IPAclaret]

Ultimately it's about the rapidly rising human population. The earth's becoming an increasingly smaller place and the consumption and pollution of resources will only increase putting more pressure on every day life.

And yes I am fun at parties.

[Twistedbyknaves]

Been a few times and always found it to be a very friendly place. It’s a tough one. I can totally sympathise with their situation. It wont be a destination on my list for the foreseeable future. I hope there is a balance they can find where they can take Advantage of tourism but on a more sustainable basis for them.

[GetIntoEm]

I'll be spending my money elsewhere if that's what they want. Easily solved.

[Caballo]

Went to Palma recently, as part of our trip we had a 4hr food and cultural walking tour. The 'guide' was/is at the fore of the movement, as a result he was quite vociferous. The issue is not with tourists perse, more specifically 'type' of tourists. Drunken/drug fuelled louts (self explanatory), cruise ships (dont spend any money but flood the place, and pollute the city because there's not electricity on the quay side, resulting in them running their engines 24/7), and Largely Scandinavians buying up large swathes of Palma city and making it unaffordable for the locals.

[Colburn_Claret]

Majorca is OK, but there's plenty of other places around the Med that are better.
Why would anyone go where they're not wanted. Simples.

[Stockbrokerbelt]

I live in southern Spain & there have been a couple of demonstrations against certain parts of tourism which is mainly aimed at the private rental sector especially the Air bnb model. Just want to address the comment above, you won’t be missed, apart from a couple of areas on the Costa del Sol & Benidorm region there is a massive demographic change occurring around the prominent nationalities. The UK tourist & house buyers are falling well behind the Scandi, French, Belgium, German & US nations with EU nations offering great tax breaks for buying a 2nd home in Spain & the power in their wallets. I have over 20 golf courses within a 25 min drive, many which had UK memberships around the 95% mark now totally Mainly the countries I’ve mentioned. I played mine last week & of the 75 players booked in I was the only UK player. Getting back to demonstrating its not really against tourists it more about tourism & the massive rental surge which has a knock on effect to rent’s & availability. The issue with UK tourist is mainly around their behaviour which is mainly non existent with all the other nations & atrocious. Just to mention the yanks, going to be really big on the Costa del Sol especially around Marbella down to Manilva, several big US estate agencies have moved in because of the weather & life style which reminds them of Mexico but much cheaper.

[Clarets4me]

No such problems in Lesvos, Greece ... they appreciate British and Dutch tourists and don't speak well of the Germans. Our hosts in Petra, on the north of the Island, pointed out the the building that was the German HQ during the occupation during WW2. Long memories over there ...

[dandeclaret]

Majorca….. twinned with Barley.

[Boss Hogg]

Some of the tourists they want rid of are probably so drunk they don’t notice the demonstrations. Plenty of other places to go though for respectful holidaymakers which is what I’ll be doing. I go away to relax. Housing costs and costs generally are rising everywhere. They need to be directing this at their governments not all the tourists. Once tourists go elsewhere it’s hard to win them back.

[Goobs]

Just returned from Paguera on Saturday. No problem at all. No protests and the hotel staff were fantastic. Out in a few bars in the evening and apart from a couple of miserable buggers serving in a bar the majority were very welcoming.

We love Paguera. Beautiful resort.

[Taffy on the wing]

I'll be spending my money elsewhere if that's what they want. Easily solved.

The Whole of Spain lets out a huge sigh of relief!

[Taffy on the wing]

No such problems in Lesvos, Greece ... they appreciate British and Dutch tourists and don't speak well of the Germans. Our hosts in Petra, on the north of the Island, pointed out the the building that was the German HQ during the occupation during WW2. Long memories over there ...

Indeed they do!....not mad on Yanks either.

[Stockbrokerbelt]

Spain is having another record year in its tourism sector, the real big factor is now the ability to work from anywhere for lots of the business world which adds to pressures.

[Exeterclaret]

We have a friend that runs night trips up Teide and also has a restaurant towards the top , there’s no way he wants the Brits to stop away .Its probably the empty heads getting stoned every night that they could probably do without.

Sure they'd much rather have the stoners than the boozers

[CaptainKirk]

Majorca….. twinned with Barley.

Funny guy!
Just approaching the end of a couple of weeks on Mallorca.
No evidence of any trouble or disapproval anywhere and we have moved about a bit.
You get the odd miserable bugger now and again but that is the same anywhere.
Mostly, really welcoming.

[criminalclaret]

I live in southern Spain & there have been a couple of demonstrations against certain parts of tourism which is mainly aimed at the private rental sector especially the Air bnb model. Just want to address the comment above, you won’t be missed, apart from a couple of areas on the Costa del Sol & Benidorm region there is a massive demographic change occurring around the prominent nationalities. The UK tourist & house buyers are falling well behind the Scandi, French, Belgium, German & US nations with EU nations offering great tax breaks for buying a 2nd home in Spain & the power in their wallets. I have over 20 golf courses within a 25 min drive, many which had UK memberships around the 95% mark now totally Mainly the countries I’ve mentioned. I played mine last week & of the 75 players booked in I was the only UK player. Getting back to demonstrating its not really against tourists it more about tourism & the massive rental surge which has a knock on effect to rent’s & availability. The issue with UK tourist is mainly around their behaviour which is mainly non existent with all the other nations & atrocious. Just to mention the yanks, going to be really big on the Costa del Sol especially around Marbella down to Manilva, several big US estate agencies have moved in because of the weather & life style which reminds them of Mexico but much cheaper.

Well put.

These protests are not being targeted at every single tourist, but rather trying to change policies enabling locals to be less negatively affected by tourism and protection from over-tourism. Same for Dublin, Lisbon, Girona, Barcelona, as well as various other places across Europe. Tourism has to work side by side with locals and that's what the crux of those protests are about.

Residents are happy with hotels and hotel tourism. Hotels employ local staff, they have purpose built accommodation for guests, they don't take away from local peoples amenities. But the businesses who have gone specifically into residential neighborhoods to buy en-masse for the tourism rental market it has a double affect on the locals - reduces supply and pushes up prices. That ends up in people earning less or leaving to earn more with better safeguards on there home. Less people working in the local economy in these tourist places will have a detrimental affect on there tourist industry. It's a convoluted negative cycle

There was a really good article on Majorca protests (will have to root it out) whereby basically saying they are running our of doctors and teachers because they cannot find accommodation on the island and locals going to the mainland. It's creating a big drop in communities and will eventually have a knock on affect to the tourist areas when bars and restaurants are not longer feasible to operate in. Joe Blogs and family will just move somewhere else for there hols, but that tourist town and locals may never recover from it.

[AfloatinClaret]

The Airbnb crowd is ruining things for a lot of places... The people who work there can no longer afford to live there.

Villages in the UK have the same problem...

They certainly do. We live in a heavily touristed area and I constantly hear friends and neighbours bemoaning the tourists, but being unable or perhaps unwilling, to accept that towards 50% of the local jobs - quite often including their own - are directly or indirectly funded by those visitors. Few if any of the local shops and pubs would even stay in business without those tourist £s coming in; I think the expectation is that the tourists should go/stay at home and instead send cheques to keep the local economy solvent.
It's a similar story with the lack of housing: Most local youngsters are unable to afford the market price on housing nowadays, but ignore the fact that most of those houses were at one time owned by local families (again, sometimes their own) but have been sold to 'outsiders' over the years, as that's who they could get the best price off. There are schemes to build/acquire low cost housing with either 'local' or 'agricultural' restrictions placed upon them, but whenever someone does secure one, they almost invariably begin trying to get that local/agricultural tag removed from the house, so that they can sell it (at a far bigger profit) on the open market.

[criminalclaret]

Few if any of the local shops and pubs would even stay in business without those tourist £s coming in; I think the expectation is that the tourists should go/stay at home and instead send cheques to keep the local economy solvent.

That's such a brain dead "they can take it or leave it" attitude which is basically the main point of these protests (not by you mind)

There is no issue with tourism in general, that absolutely goes without saying. Tourism contributes enormously to economies to certain parts of the UK (Devon, Cornwall, parts of Scotland etc). It's short term over-tourism which is the issue and lack of policies protecting local residents and workers in the long term.

I myself have personally been evicted few years ago for my landlord to turn my house into a short term rental because it was in a desirable part of town. Do I go around hurling abuse at passerby tourists telling them to sling their hook? Of course not. I'm quite passionate on the subject in understanding the nuances of what the problems local residents face and how it can be a sensitive topic