Residents of Spanish Mallorca 'Occupied' Popular Beach to Protest against Excessive Tourism

About 100 local residents of Spanish Mallorca occupied the Playa de Palma beach to protest against mass tourism.

This was reported by Euronews.

One of the protesters said that the aim was to "remind people, at least for a few hours, that the beach belongs to all the inhabitants of Mallorca".

According to the activist, tourists understood their demands. "The action is not against them, but against the tourist model," he said.

Local residents of Mallorca and other parts of Spain popular with holidaymakers have been protesting against mass tourism for several months.

Tens of thousands of people joined separate rallies in Palma de Mallorca in May and June.

Although the protests have so far been peaceful, graffiti with the slogan "Kill the tourist" has recently appeared in Mallorca.

Meanwhile, the number of foreign tourists to Spain jumped by 13% in the first half of 2024, meaning the country is on track for another record year in terms of visitor numbers despite growing local discontent over the negative impact of tourism.

The Spanish government has recently announced tough steps in the short-term and seasonal rental sector amidst resident discontent.

As The Gaze previously reported, on 21 July, about 20,000 protesters took to the streets of the resort city of Palma de Mallorca for a large-scale demonstration against mass tourism.