Tourists cancelling Mallorca holidays after 'go home' protests and 'hostility'
Mallorca is one of the world's most popular tourists destinations, but some holidaymakers have been put off by the 'tourists go home' protests.
Some holidaymakers are boycotting Mallorca following a series of "tourists go home" protests.
Despite its reputation as one of the world's favourite getaways, with a staggering 17.8million visitors in 2023 alone, unrest has been brewing in the sun-soaked isle of Mallorca.
The heart of discontent lies in the city of Palma, where residents have echoed Spain-wide anger over steep rental spikes caused by properties being snapped up for tourist accommodation.
The animosity has now spilled onto the scenic streets, with slogans such as "tourists go home" scrawled on walls across Spanish holiday retreats including Mallorca. The vandalism took a darker turn when "kill a tourist" graffiti appeared in the east of Mallorca earlier in the year.
People on Reddit's r/Mallorca have revealed how they are cancelling or reconsidering holidays to the island as a result.
One Reddit user announced they had scrapped their Mallorca plans, opting for Portugal's Madeira instead, stating: "The last thing I want to do is to go somewhere I'm not welcome. I've never been to Mallorca, it was on my list, happy to take it off."
In response, an American holidaymaker expressed similar doubts, explaining they had planned a grand European tour "with one of the stops being Mallorca for a week".
They added: "After reading about and seeing the hostility toward tourists, I'm reconsidering and thinking about redirecting that part of my trip to Madeira or Crete." A resident of Palma replied to their post with: "Thank you."
Another tourist voiced their concerns on the r/VisitingMallorca forum earlier this year, contemplating cancelling their trip due to reports of locals being unhappy with "AirBnB apartments" and tourists "not spending money on local bars and restaurants because they're staying in their all-inclusive hotels".
Benidorm hit by flash storm as 'torrential rain' floods streets and bursts drain [LATEST]
Tourist in Venice showcases grim 'reality' and urges 'visit while you still can' [LATEST]
Mallorca tourists explain 'how safe it feels' after 'go home' protests [LATEST]
However, other users reassured them that the issue lies with mass tourism and its associated problems, not with individual tourists. One local resident commented: "Honestly it's fine. I am an immigrant living here and the overtourism is a massive issue [...] Tourists are needed, but what's not needed is the mass tourism."
Another user added: "I was there last week. Didn't see anything weird. Just try to learn basic commands and greetings in Spanish, it will be appreciated." While a third reassured: "Don't cancel. Haven't noticed any issues in the several days I've been here this week. Everyone is very pleasant and nice."
