This popular European island is launching a campaign to combat overtourism

As Mallorca, the popular Spanish holiday island, prepares for another year of tourists flocking to its beaches and towns, the challenge of controlling overtourism has become a priority for its citizens.

Islanders joined forces to create the campaign “Menys Turisme, Més Vida” (Less tourism, more life) who want to discourage mass tourism and promote a sustainable approach that is good for both locals and visitors.

To achieve these objectives, the organization is planning several protests, collective actions and a way to even bring Sant Joan International Airport to a standstill.

This summer, the two main collective actions will focus on: “Limitation of the number of rental cars” And “Uniting different unions to strengthen the movement.”

As a tourist, you may wonder why Mallorcans have turned against tourism.

It didn’t happen overnight. This process took more than ten years, during which mass tourism grew uncontrollably.

According to local media, there is a toxic combination between cheap flights and a proliferation of accommodation platforms such as Airbnb, which have allowed tourists to ‘colonize’ parts of the island that were traditionally residential.

Some examples are the towns of the Pla region or the Pere Garau district of Palma, both of which have experienced significant gentrification.

Also, the mistreatment that the local population and the island itself suffer from tourists does not contribute to solving the problem.

“Mallorca is great. But it becomes a nightmare because of mass tourism that has no control over this paradise. As a resident, I feel very sad to see how tourists take advantage of our island and its inhabitants, pollute it and feel superior to us just because they are tourists. It’s something that hurts me and fills me with hatred. If you’re not going to take care of my island, don’t come,’ said Marta P. in Google.

With ‘Menys Turisme, Més Vida’, locals try to keep tourists out of certain areas and impose extra taxes.

Other EU destinations that regulate overtourism

The Mallorcans are not alone in this struggle. Governments and citizens in other popular European countries have also introduced restrictions to tackle overtourism.

France – Promotion of lesser known destinations

France is working with social media influencers to promote alternative destinations so tourists don’t focus on the same hotspots.

Paris, for its part, increased its accommodation and tourist tax to 200% to support the upcoming Olympic Games.

Amsterdam: Tourist tax

Amsterdam increased the tourist tax by 12.5%. A number of tourist buses are also banned and visits to cruise ships are limited.

Venice: New tax for day trippers

Venice has imposed a new tax on those visiting the city for the day and has restricted short-term rentals.