Islanders in Majorca have vowed to block tourists from “every centimetre” of beach this weekend as protests against the effects of over-tourism intensify.
Tourism has brought great wealth to the Balearic Islands but locals now say that they are being choked by traffic congestion, high prices, overcrowding and unaffordable rents.
After about 10,000 islanders marched through the streets of Palma, the capital, last weekend, protesting against saturation tourism, new demonstrations are planned for this weekend.
Locals say that they want to take back their beaches from the millions of tourists who descend on the island each summer.
Many residents were furious when a Spanish politician suggested that they could no longer expect to enjoy their own beaches in July and August, at the height of the tourist season, and instead they should make way for international visitors.
“I understand the discontent but us Mallorcans, who live directly or indirectly from tourism, cannot expect to go to the beach in July and August like we did years ago,” said Manuela Canadas, a member of the far-Right Vox party in the Balearic Islands’ regional parliament.
She warned islanders not to bite the hand that feeds them. “There are other, more attractive destinations and we can end up going hungry because here there’s a lack of jobs.”