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Local on 'overwhelmed' Spanish island says one type of hotel to blame for tourist crisis


One type of hotel is to blame for the soaring tensions in Majorca over excessive tourist numbers, a local hospitality worker believes.

Jaume Fuster, 27, told The Guardian that despite the throngs of sunseekers that descend on the island every summer, most ordinary Mallorcans aren’t seeing the economic benefits.

He added that the increasing numbers of all-inclusive resorts meant visitors were less likely to spend money with local businesses.

It comes after a protest was held in Palma, the Majorcan capital, last month, with demonstrators taking to the streets holding messages including “tourism, but not like this” and “no to mass tourism”.

Fuster didn’t attend, but says he agrees with the sentiment: “They should be a wake-up call to our politicians to legislate against the overcrowding and bring in laws that improve the quality of life of us residents.

The month before, a 15,000-strong crowd of protesters gathered in the streets of the capital, holding banners which read: “Salvem Mallorca, guiris arruix”, translating to “Let’s save Majorca, foreigners out”, in Catalan. “Guiri” is a term used to describe tourists who drink to excess and party hard.

Fuster, who like many of his friends lives with his parents, believes the housing crisis on the island has become out of control.

As a hospitality worker, he’s only employed for eight months of the year, and told the newspaper it’s “impossible to live independently on our salaries”.

The latest “occupy our beaches” protests were also held in the Spanish tourist hub on Sunday, organised by the Mallorca Platja Tour group.

It attracted around 100 people to Playa de Palma in the Balneario 6 area of Arenal on August 11. Two police vans were on guard and a police helicopter flew over the area. There were no violent incidents.

It saw a larger number than at the first protest in Sa Rapita but less than the 300 or so at a similar protest on Caló des Moro beach.

One of the demonstrators told Majorca Daily Bulletin that the beach, which has a reputation for drunken tourism, had been chosen as Balneario 6 is a symbol of an overcrowded Majorca.

Majorcan authorities previously urged residents to treat tourists with “respect”, fearing demonstrations on the island would become as fraught as a recent march in Barcelona.

In early July, thousands joined a march through local tourist hotspots, with signs held up reading “Tourists go home,” and “Barcelona is not for sale”.

Over the past decade, the cost of housing in Spain has skyrocketed by 68 percent, and locals believe the prices are been pushed up by the huge number of holiday rentals.

Many seasonal hospitality workers and local residents have said in recent months to struggle to find affordable accommodation around tourist hotspots, and the rising costs have meant even homeowners are struggling.

Analysis by Eurostat, the European Union statistics agency, previously found that 44.8 percent of Spaniards who rented their homes were at risk of poverty as property costs were higher than earnings.

Rent in Barcelona is more expensive than ever, according to El Pais. In the third quarter of last year, an apartment in the city was found to cost around €1,171 per month, on average.

Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni said reports of protestors spraying tourists with water pistols at last month’s march was “absolutely reprehensible” and not representative of the city’s spirit.

On June 21, Collboni announced that in a bid to tackle high prices, over 10,000 tourist apartment rentals will be banned by 2028.

This week, the Spanish Tourist Office said tourism arrivals to Spain haven’t been impacted by the protests so far.

“These protests have been largely isolated, peaceful, and self-contained,” the Spanish tourism authority told The Independent.

“There are important issues generated from the problems associated with overtourism that need attention, such as affordable housing and the environment but looking specifically at the recent protests that have been widely covered by the British media, we do need to have a sense of perspective and proportion.”

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