Spaniards have moaned that travellers aren’t spending enough in Majorca. The complaint comes hours after anti-tourism goons stormed a beach popular with Brits to complain about ‘over-tourism’.
Spain’s National Statistics Institute reported that tourists are not spending as much they have previously, especially in Mallorca and the Balearic Islands more generally.
And a news site from the island, Majorca Daily Bulletin, has posed the question “So many tourists in Mallorca, but why aren’t they spending more?”
READ MORE: Anti-tourism protesters storm ‘drunk beach’ loved by Brits over ‘low quality’ visitors
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The question, however earnest, came on the same day that locals stormed a beach in Majorca in protest of “low quality” visitors.
(Image: Getty Images)
Majorca News Bulletin reported that ‘bars, restaurants, shops and nightlife’ options had complained that the 7.7 million tourists that flooded Majorca up until June are failing to reach into the pocket like they used to.
Rafael Durán, president of the Abactur tourist attractions association, said that despite some stats saying more tourists are spending more money, in real terms it “is clear that spending has dropped quite a bit”.
Miguel Pérez Marsà, president of the Abone nightlife association, calculates a fall in turnover of between 15% and 20% compared to last year.
(Image: Getty Images)
“People are arriving with less money and hotels have become more expensive,” he said.
It comes as protests have swept across Spain over the warmer months. Locals are saying tourism is pricing them out of their homes and encouraging a culture of drunkenness.
In Majorca on August 11, locals stepped out on Balneario 6 in Playa de Palma representing a campaign group named Majorca Platja Tour.
They wore swimsuits and walked out holding a huge yellow banner with the words: “Occupy our beaches.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Other protesters carried signs telling tourists to go home and adding that their home is “not a f***ing theme park.” It is believed the group was made up of around 100 protesters.
According to Spain’s National Statistics Institute, 20% of their tourism income is down to Brits.
While the signs for the protest were written in English, they appeared to be also aimed at Germans, who are also believed to be blamed for the so-called “low quality” tourism. Some 6.3 million Brits visited Spain between January and May this year, alongside 4.4 million Germans.
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