Beach loungers in Palma: Mallorca is fighting against mass tourism!

Beach loungers in Palma: Mallorca is fighting against mass tourism!

The Balearic Island of Mallorca, a popular holiday destination for millions of tourists, faces major challenges from mass tourism. Around 5 million tourists visited the island last year alone, which leads to overcrowding the beaches, garbage problems and a stressed nature. This situation is tightened by the climate crisis, which brings rising temperatures and lack of water. The Palma city administration has now decided to reduce the number of beach loungers on the beaches from 2026 by about 20%. This is a reaction to the dwindling space, caused by rising sea levels and the overcrowded beaches. WatSon reports that at Playa de Palma will only be placed in the future, while the number of 300 to 250 sinks on the Cala Major.

Localities already express their dissatisfaction with the many paid loungers and the lack of space for their own towels or deckchairs. In order to accommodate the needs of tourists, the city plans to introduce “premium loungers” to offer more privacy. Furthermore, the rental period for beach loungers and parasols will be extended from the end of October to early November.

a pact for sustainable tourism

In May 2024, the regional government of the Balearic Islands announced a political and social pact for sustainable tourism. This pact aims to minimize the negative effects of mass tourism on the environment and society. Antoni Riera, Professor of Applied Economics and Technical Director of the ImpulsSa Balears Foundation, heads the technical committee, which consists of twelve thematic working groups. These groups deal with areas such as ecological sustainability, social sustainability, tourist services and competitiveness. mallorca magazine that General Director of the regional government is coordinated.

However, there are also differences within the pact. Organizations such as the "Forum for Citizens' Intervention" and the Environmental Association Grup d’Ornitologia Balear (GOB) have withdrawn, which has led to criticism of the credibility of the committee. Protests in Mallorca in 2024, in which up to 20,000 people took part, were directed against the negative consequences of mass tourism. The main topics of these protests were rising rents, noise, pollution and the unequal distribution of tourism gains.

The way forward

The government has called on the population to participate in the sustainability pact. Suggestions could be submitted between July 1 and October 31, 2024, with a total of 576 contributions received. The main topics of the suggestions were: environment (42%), traffic and sustainable tourism. The working groups are currently examining the suggestions to develop strategic guidelines and action plans. However, it remains unclear whether the concerns of the resigned organizations are treated and whether specific measures are implemented against mass tourism.