Panic in Spain as 'bookings slump' and unwelcome tourists vow ‘we’ll never visit again’
The wave of anti-tourism protests that have swept through Spain this year appears to have prompted some holidaymakers to think twice about their summer plans.
Marches, protests and the takeover of beaches in holiday hotspots are seemingly having an impact on tourists in one of the Spanish areas normally most sought-after by holidaymakers.
The President of the Majorcan Hoteliers Federation Maria Frontera admitted to having noticed a slowdown in holiday bookings to the Balearic island.
However, she blamed this decreased interest in Majorca on the weather and the EURO 2024 - due to end on Sunday.
The exact impact on holiday bookings these protests are having is unclear, but the Majorca Daily Bulletin has published remarks it received from concerned tourists, with some pledging to avoid Spain for the time being.
One potential tourist was said to have reconsidered a holiday in the country due to the perceived "animosity" created by the protests.
The news outlet's reader wrote: "We have always treated local people with respect, when on holiday, we don't get overly drunk or cause any problems when in another country, but we will get this bad feeling, from the people of Spain also.
"It's a sad situation, but nevertheless, one that may see us, never going to mainland Spain or any of the beautiful islands again."
The first major protests in a Spanish holiday hotspot erupted on April 20, when tens of thousands of residents in Tenerife, Fuerteventura and other Canary Islands took their frustration against issues created by overtourism to the streets.
In early June, residents in the Balearic Islands followed in the footsteps of residents in the Canary Islands and protested against overtourism.
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In mid-June, a few hundred locals in Majorca came together to "reclaim" the popular Caló des Moro beach from tourists.
Earlier this week, a new protest against overtourism held in Barcelona saw frustrated people chant "tourists go home" and squirt holidaymakers with water pistols.
Many of the organisers of these protests have stressed residents are aware of the important role tourism plays in the local economy, but want to see a different tourism model that prevents overcrowding, a spike in the cost of living crisis and a solution to the housing crisis they say is worsened by the high demand created by holiday lets and hotels.
