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Report
Mallorca pushes back against mass tourism
DW (English)
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9/3/2024
Several million tourists flock to the Spanish island of Mallorca every year. But locals are now fighting back against the impact of overtourism. Can you still visit Mallorca with a clear conscience?
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00:00
Last year, there were 12.5 million tourists on the Spanish island of Mallorca, more than
00:10
ever before.
00:11
And this year, the island is expected to be well-visited again.
00:15
Well, lots of sun, beaches and party.
00:18
But wait, apparently, times have changed here.
00:23
Many Mallorcans are resisting the sell-off of their island, mass tourism and the consequences.
00:28
In the spring and summer, tens of thousands of locals demonstrated in the capital, Palma
00:33
de Mallorca.
00:34
Where are the problems and how could they be solved?
00:38
That's what I want to find out so that you know whether it's really still worth coming
00:42
to Mallorca.
00:43
This is one of the tourist hotspots on the island, the so-called Balaman, actually Balneario
00:49
Seis, a part of a white beach in El Arenal, very close to the capital.
00:54
Balaman has been considered a problem area for years.
00:57
Too many tourists who don't just come here to swim, but also want to party.
01:03
Pere Joan Feminia is one of the organizers of the demonstrations against mass tourism.
01:12
For many years, not only this year, we've been demanding that the airport's capacity
01:17
for arrivals and also the island's capacity to receive tourists should be regulated.
01:23
Tourists usually sleep in beds, and if we limit the number of beds and the number of
01:27
hotel beds and also Airbnb, we can regulate and control the number of tourists a little.
01:39
Everything in El Arenal is geared towards mass processing.
01:44
There is enough space for tourism, but hardly any affordable housing for locals.
01:50
There are only a few historical buildings left, such as this church from the 19th century.
01:55
At that time, it was mainly fishermen and stonecutters who lived here.
01:59
The economic boom only came with tourism.
02:02
Mallorca wants to get away from the cheap Balaman image.
02:07
Since May 2024, drinking alcohol has been banned on the streets and on the beach in El Arenal.
02:14
Bans are enforced, but apparently there is little control.
02:17
I've already seen a lot of people drinking beer out here.
02:21
In any case, the locals have had enough.
02:23
A broad alliance from bird protectors to the local group of Fridays for Future repeatedly
02:29
organizes protests like this one in the center of Palma in July 2024.
02:34
They are loudly demanding tourism to be limited.
02:40
How is that supposed to work when so much depends on tourism in Mallorca?
02:44
I have an appointment with the head of Mallorca Tourism.
02:47
He must have a plan.
02:51
The situation we have now is that society is exhausted.
02:54
Exhausted of what?
02:55
Are you tired of not having access to housing?
02:58
Is this just tourism's fault?
03:00
Or is it the fault that we haven't done anything to improve the housing market, that we haven't
03:04
built more apartments in the last ten years, that we haven't given legal certainty to everyone
03:08
who wants to rent out their apartments, of which there are a lot, or that we haven't
03:12
carried out mobility management to improve infrastructure in recent years?
03:16
We don't need to create more, we need to simplify.
03:20
Actually there should be enough space for responsible tourists.
03:24
Mallorca is a fairly large island.
03:26
But the masses have already reached even the most remote corners.
03:31
I'm on my way to the southeast of the island, to Santany.
03:35
There are supposed to be beautiful little beaches there.
03:38
They're hidden, but not so secret anymore.
03:43
My destination?
03:44
The cove of CalĂł des Moros.
03:46
The nearby parking lot fills up quickly.
03:48
From here it is a 20-minute walk to the cove.
03:52
Photos and videos on social media have attracted many people.
04:00
Looks like paradise.
04:01
And there's the dilemma.
04:03
Everyone wants to go where it's beautiful, including me.
04:07
The unsecured descent is not for the faint of heart.
04:10
And the fact that Santany's mayor recently asked visitors to avoid the cove because of
04:16
overcrowding apparently doesn't deter anyone.
04:23
But it's also really beautiful, especially in the water.
04:26
It has a pleasant temperature and is very clear.
04:32
I was told that years ago this cove was rarely visited, even in high season.
04:38
That has obviously changed completely.
04:46
It's not that easy to find a solution.
04:48
I think a healthy middle ground between mass tourism and a secluded paradise is needed.
04:54
In other words, Mallorca needs balance.
04:57
And be prepared that in high season there's a lot of people.
05:01
But I think it's still worth a trip.
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1:32
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