Thousands Protest Mass Tourism Impact Across Spanish Destinations

Thousands of protesters, reportedly around 30,000 in Palma de Mallorca alone, have staged large-scale demonstrations across Spanish tourist hotspots like Majorca, Ibiza, and Barcelona, demanding British and other foreign tourists to "go home" due to the negative impacts of mass tourism. The protests, organized by groups such as the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification, spotlight concerns over skyrocketing housing costs, the prevalence of Airbnb-style short-term rentals, and the environmental and social strain caused by cruise ships, private jets, and holiday lets. Demonstrators carried signs with slogans like "Mallorca is not for sale" and "Your vacations, our anxiety," and some engaged in direct actions such as jeering at tourists and spraying water guns. The unrest disrupted the usually peaceful atmosphere for holidaymakers, with police intervening at times to protect tourists from aggressive protesters. Locals expressed frustration over soaring rents, loss of affordable housing, and a shift in their communities' cultural and linguistic landscape, emphasizing a need for stricter tourism laws and regulation of short-term rental properties. While some anger was directed at "guiris"—a local term for foreign visitors—the core issue remains the impact of tourism-driven real estate practices on the quality of life for residents.