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Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- July 22, 2024 09:41
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Thousands of anti-tourism activists protested in Spain's Palma de Mallorca on Sunday, in the latest demonstration against an industry vital to the Iberian nation.
Carrying makeshift models of airplanes and cruise ships, protesters marched through the streets of Majorca's capital with posters reading "no mass tourism" and "ban private jets," Reuters reports.
Anti-tourism activists have staged a series of protests this year in Barcelona and other popular holiday destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and the Canary Islands, saying visitors are driving up accommodation costs and making residents unable to afford to live in city centers.
Around 10,000 protesters took part in the Majorca demonstration on Sunday, police said.
Some tourists supported the march, while others were feeling down.
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Pere Joan Femenia, of "Menys Turisme, Mas Vida" (Less Tourism, More Life) which organized Sunday's protest in Majorca, told Reuters the protesters wanted fewer tourists on the island.
"Mass tourism is making life difficult for local residents who cannot afford to live on their island because the prices of tourist apartments are increasing. Tourists fill the beaches and burden public services during the summer," she said.
"We want to curtail mass tourism and stop non-residents from buying houses that are only used for a few months a year," she added.
After Catalonia, the Balearic Islands were Spain's second most popular region for tourists last year, attracting 14.4 million holidaymakers, Spain's National Institute of Statistics has announced.
Tourism generates 45% of the gross domestic product of the Balearic Islands, according to data from Exceltur, an industry organization.
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In the first quarter of this year, 16.1 million people visited Spain, an increase of 18% compared to the same period last year.
Visitors spent €109 billion in Spain last year, compared to €63.5 billion in France.
