Protest on Mallorca: 8,000 demand less tourism, more life!

Protest on Mallorca: 8,000 demand less tourism, more life!

The Balearic Islands are set for a summer of the century in 2025 as a record-breaking number of over 20 million visitors is expected. However, this also triggered massive protests on Mallorca, where today, June 16, 2025, around 8,000 people took to the streets in Palma against excessive mass tourism. The demonstration began at Plaça d’Espanya and ended at Passeig del Born.

The campaign was organized by the initiative “Menys turisme, més vida” (“Less tourism, more life”). The participants passionately chanted slogans such as “If you love Mallorca, don’t destroy it!” and called for a drastic limit on the number of visitors and a moratorium on cruise ships. Jaume Pujol, the initiative's spokesman, sharply criticized the regional government for its ignorance and inadequate measures to promote sustainable tourism practices.

Protest for various reasons

The increase in tourism also has negative side effects. Housing costs on the island in particular have risen sharply in recent years, leading to an acute housing shortage. Participants in the protests came from all parts of the island and focused on the difficulties that locals are now experiencing. Locals are forced to move to the hinterland due to high prices, which often involves long commute times and traffic jams, which are exacerbated by tourist traffic.

According to reports from Diario de Mallorca, the number of demonstrators exceeded initial expectations. Many protesters argue that landlords are increasingly inclined to rent properties to tourists rather than locals because of the lucrative nature of vacation rentals. As a result, local residents often have to put up with unsafe housing and high rental prices.

Economic impact of tourism

The economic figures show that tourism plays an important role for Mallorca. In 2024, the approximately 13.5 million tourists on the islands spent a total of 22.4 billion euros, an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. Tourism now accounts for over 40% of Mallorca's total income.

Against the background of increasing criticism of mass tourism, protests are taking place not only in Mallorca, but also in other Spanish cities, such as Barcelona. These movements show that concerns about the negative impact of tourism and the quality of life of locals are of great importance. Some of the protesters in Palma carried the banner “Mallorca is not for sale,” underlining their determination to resist the commercialization of their homeland.

How these dynamics will play out remains to be seen, but discontent on the island is becoming clear as tourism numbers continue to rise.