As Mallorca, the favored Spanish resort island, gears up for one more 12 months of vacationers flocking to its seashores and cities, the problem of managing overtourism has grow to be a precedence for residents.
Island residents have joined forces to create the marketing campaign “Menys Turisme, Més Vida” (Much less Tourism, Extra Life) seeking to discourage mass tourism and promote a sustainable method that’s good for each locals and guests.
To attain these goals, the group is planning a number of protests, collective actions and a solution to even deliver Sant Joan Worldwide Airport to a standstill.
This summer time, the 2 predominant collective actions will give attention to: “limiting the variety of rent automobiles” and “uniting varied unions to bolster the motion.”
As a vacationer, you could be questioning why Mallorcans have turned towards tourism.
It didn’t occur in a single day. This course of has taken over a decade, throughout which mass tourism has grown uncontrollably.
As per native media retailers, there’s a poisonous mixture between low-cost flights and a proliferation of lodging platforms reminiscent of Airbnb, which have allowed vacationers to “colonize” sections of the island that have been historically residential.
Some examples embody the cities within the Pla area or the Pere Garau neighborhood in Palma, each of which have skilled important gentrification.
Additionally, the mistreatment that locals and the island itself get from vacationers will not be serving to to resolve the difficulty.
“Mallorca is superb. But it surely’s changing into a nightmare because of the mass tourism that isn’t taking good care of this paradise. As a resident, I really feel very unhappy to see how vacationers reap the benefits of our island and its residents, polluting it and feeling superior to us simply because they’re vacationers. It’s one thing that hurts and fills me with hatred. In case you’re not going to deal with my island, don’t come,” mentioned Marta P. in Google.
With “Menys Turisme, Més Vida,” locals look to ban vacationers from sure areas and impose further taxes.
Different EU Locations Regulating Overtourism
Mallorcans are usually not alone on this struggle. Governments and residents in different common European nations have additionally carried out restrictions to sort out overtourism.
France – Promotion of lesser-known locations
France is collaborating with social media influencers to advertise different locations so vacationers don’t focus in the identical hotspots.
For its half, Paris elevated lodging and tourism taxes as much as 200% to assist the upcoming Olympic video games.
Amsterdam: Vacationer Tax
Amsterdam elevated its lodging tax by 12.5%. It has additionally banned numerous vacationer buses and restricted cruise ship visits.
Venice: New tax for day-trippers
Venice has imposed a brand new tax for individuals who wish to go to the town for the day and restricted short-term leases.
