The nine demands Majorca protestors are making in latest stand against British tourists
Majorcan protesters have listed nine demands in their latest stand against tourists in their holiday hotspot, while others are making sure Brits feel welcome.
The organisers of Sunday’s large over-tourism protest, which saw 20,000 people march through the streets of Palma, have issued nine demands to tourists including Brits, including bans on private jets and curbs on flights and cruise ships, to pressure the Balearic government into action.
According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, The first called for a “guaranteed right” to housing, with the implementation of "real measures" to take housing off the market "so that everyone has access to it".
"For example, regulate the sale of housing to non-residents by establishing requirements such as a minimum length of time of residence.”
Along the same lines, they also called for a freeze on all new tourist places in both hotels and apartments and the elimination and/ or conversion of old hotels.
In April, it was reported that locals were being “forced out of their homes” to make way for tourists, with prices of properties increasing substantially according to the CEO of Ignacio Fiol of AB Capital.
They also demanded a ban on the investment of public money in infrastructure expansion, “no more airports, no more ports, no new roads, no desalination plants…
“Decrease in the number of flights, ban on private jets and a freeze on the number of recreational boats and a limit on vessels mooring off the coast.”
Palma’s city council had previously proposed a ban on new holiday rentals and restrictions on cruise passengers and rental cars to limit overcrowding. The mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, presented the package of measures on May 29 in an attempt to alleviate the effects of tourist saturation.
They called for the improving and guaranteeing of access to all public services including health, education, public transport and social services.
They also said no to the hyper-commercialisation of the coast, which they described to be “saturated” with nautical and beach toys. Protesters also called for the end of promotion of tourism, with no more tourist fairs and an increase in the rate of tourist tax.
Finally, they demanded a limit to the number of vehicles allowed to enter and called for a maximum number of rental vehicles in circulation to be set.
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Meanwhile, according to AA, a group of Majorcan residents launched a platform on Monday to express their gratitude to tourists, following Sunday’s protest. The residents, mainly from Palma, formed the platform, WeLoveTourismMallorca.com, to thank tourists for choosing Mallorca for their holiday.
The platform’s members, who wish to remain anonymous for now, emphasised the island’s reliance on tourism and called for a balanced approach to the issue. They aimed to counteract the growing hostility towards tourists and promote a message of support and affection.
“Closing our island to tourists is not the solution,” their website says.
On Sunday, the platform’s members placed “We love you” stickers on demonstrators’ posters and handed out cards with messages of appreciation to tourists in central areas of the city.
“Mallorcans have relied on tourism for a long time,” the group highlighted.
The initiative acknowledges the challenges posed by over-tourism but argues that tourists should not be solely blamed. They advocate for community input to find solutions, inviting society to share opinions and suggestions through their website to be presented at negotiations organised by the Balearic government.
“The situation is complex with many variables, so we cannot demonise tourism alone, as it is the main engine of our island’s economy,” the platform’s statement says.
