Hotel bosses in a major Spanish tourism hotspot have warned holidaymakers of a “sunlounger shortage” at some of its popular beaches, as battles break out among guests to secure the best spots.
Hoteliers in Majorca are concerned that there now aren’t enough sun beds and other services for visitors during the holiday peak.
According to Spanish outlet The Majorca Daily Bulletin, the beaches of Cala San Vicenç, Albercuix and Tamarells in Pollensa don’t have proper sun loungers or umbrellas to protect them, with visitors seeking out alternative resorts.
Jaume Salas, president of the hoteliers in town, said: “Families, who come with children and with elderly people, want to be able to lie on a sun bed and enjoy some shade. Many of the users have opted to go to Alcudia, for all the amenities that its beach services.”
But he added that the town’s mayor Martí March is “aware of the situation” and providing support to local hoteliers.
It comes amid bizzare battles between sunseekers to reserve parasols, with locals claiming they’re forced to reserve beach umbrellas at the crack of dawn with many foreign visitors rising early to mark their territory.
“While half of Majorca is still asleep, the towel war is already beginning in Playa de Palma,” the Spanish press reports.
“Not only have German holidaymakers ‘reserved’ their sun loungers at the hotel pools at dawn but have now also moved this habit to the beach.
“With towels hanging on the parasols in the early morning, the tourists secure the best spots right by the sea.”
This weekend over a dozen spots near a leading hotel in Playa de Palma beloved by German tourists had been snapped up early, according to photos in local media.
Palma City Council provides the rental service for sunloungers and parasols on the beach via a third party firm between 10am and 7pm, with holidaymakers having to pay a daily fee.
Staff are onsite by as early as 8.30am to prepare and distribute sun beds, according to reports.
Last month, British sunseekers were accused of trying to “hog” loungers in Benidorm, with some getting to the beach from 6am to secure a place.
Paul Hitchcock, a regular visitor to the east coast seaside reside, called out a group who stacked up a number of deckchairs and lay down on all of them.
An image posted to Facebook shows two holidamakers reclining at least three deckchairs each.
“Two people, five sunbeds, and they are not the only ones,” Paul wrote, as per The Olive Press.
People blasted their actions as “selfish”, with one commenting: “This should be getting stopped, how embarrassing.”
