Majorca, one of Spain’s sunny Baeleric islands, has been a popular tourist destination for decades. The industry brings in millions each year – but many locals are yet to share in the prosperity.
In recent months, Spaniards on the mainland and beyond have been protesting against plummeting living standards, blaming the surge in tourism.
The biggest indicator that you’re at a tourist hotspot that doesn’t favour tourists lies with sunbeds. If you leave your possessions on one for too long, you’ll find your belongings will be moved to make room for the long line of holidaymakers.
Activists have claimed increasing housing costs have been driven by foreigners buying holiday homes in popular destinations, or renting them out for considerable periods during peak season.
Videos have emerged online of tourists in Barcelona being sprayed by water pistols while distressed Spanish activists shout ‘Tourists go home’ – and Majorca is the next destination to share this sentiment.
Sonia, who is 31, lives in Majorca’s capital Palma with her four-year-old son. She’s been told by her landlord she has to move out – but they have nowhere to go.
“Every day I’m looking and every day the rent is higher. I even stop people in the street and ask if they have something because the day is approaching when I will have to leave the apartment, and I just see me and my son homeless because there is absolutely nothing,” the mother tells The BBC.
Although Sonia and her previous partner have separated, they still have to live together to be able to afford rent. The pair take home 2,400 euros a month collectively, but this is still not enough.
“They ask you for deposits of several months. Some have even told me that they don’t want children, they don’t want animals. And so many people are looking,” she continues.
Sonia is partaking in the protests happening this weekend against the tourism industry. 25-year-old Pere Joan Femenia, a fellow protestor, is part of the movement “Menys Turisme, Més Vida”, which translates to “Less Tourism, More Life”.
Pere says the tourists are impacting the quality of life for locals in more aspects than just housing, as recent surges have seen public spaces, public services and natural resources oversubscribed by visitors.
“Businesses are changing from one’s selling traditional products to multi-nationals selling ice cream and we are losing our identity. We want to preserve our culture,” he tells The BBC.
He says that Majorca relying on the tourism industry for survival is a myth, and in reality many locals are leaving for good as they can no longer afford to live there. To combat this, Pere and other activists are calling for limits to be placed on flights arriving and cruises docking to take pressure of the island.
Last year, over 14 million foreign tourists visited the Balearic Islands according to Spain’s National Institute of statistics. Majorca is the biggest island in the Balearics, followed by Menorca then Ibiza.
