Tourists at a scenic beach in the resort of Mallorca, Spain, were told to leave by local demonstrators campaigning against over-tourism.
On Sunday around 300 locals organized by the group Mallorca Platja Tour occupied the beach at at Calo del Moro on the south coast of the island.
Protesters clapped and jeered as visitors were ejected from the sandy bay, packing up their bags and trudging up the hill to leave.
Other demonstrators were seen wielding placards reading: “Beware of locals, we are angry,” expressing their rage over mass tourism at the Mediterranean holiday hotspot.
The demonstration was a stance against overcrowding which makes it difficult for residents to visit the beach, according to local newspaper Majorca Daily Bulletin.
Activists against over-tourism in Spain
The organizers said: “We want to spend a day at the beach with people from here. To do so we had to come at eight in the morning, otherwise, it would have been impossible.”
On X, Mallorca Platja Tour’s bio reads: “We will fill the beach with Majorcans” along with the hashtag “OcupemLesNostresPlatges” which roughly translates as “we occupy our beaches”. Posting details of the protest, the group said: “For one day, Calo des Moro will belong to Majorcans”.
Two weeks ago the group organized their first protest at Sa Rapita beach, also on the south side of the island.
It follows protests held on the island in recent weeks against mass-tourism, and widespread demonstrations across Spanish holiday destinations including the Canary Islands and Ibiza. Locals have spoken out about the impact of mass tourism on the environment, rising house prices and overcrowding.
President of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, has previously said that “limits” needed to be set.
Posting on X, she said: “I am proud to be the president of a tourism community. Precisely because we love tourism and believe in our economic model, the time has come to set limits.”
Greece to Cap Number of Cruise Ships to Cope With Over-tourism
Greece like Spain and other Mediterranean countries are trying to cope with the problem caused by over-tourism.
Speaking last week to Bloomberg Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the time has come to place restrictions on cruise ships visiting Greece’s most popular islands, the government’s first move to cope with the effects of over-tourism.
“I think we’ll do it next year,” Mitsotakis said in an interview, speaking about the decision to cap cruise ship visits. The new rules could see the total number of island berths restricted, or a bidding process introduced for slots, he said.
“Santorini in itself is a problem,” the premier said on June 12 at his Athens office, noting that there could be a disconnect between the sheer number of vessels docking at the island and how much they contribute to the tourist economy. And other visitors to Santorini could be turned off by the cruise ship traffic, he said.
“There are people spending a lot of money to be on Santorini and they don’t want the island to be swamped,” Mitsotakis said. “Plus the island can’t afford it, even in terms of security.”