Hoteliers call for urgent plans to tackle mass tourism in ‘overcrowded’ Mallorca

Residents propose ‘diverting tourist flows’ on the Balearic island

Millions of Brits holiday in Mallorca each year (Getty Images)

Hoteliers in Mallorca are calling for a “strategic plan” to combat overtourism in the Spanish holiday hotspot.

Maria Frontera, president of the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation, said that the “overcrowded” island is facing a “critical situation” on Tuesday (14 May), reports the Majorca Daily Bulletin.

She added: “Seeking a balance of coexistence between residents and visitors has long been an issue on these islands.”

Hoteliers proposed “diverting tourist flows” by improving public transport to better distribute footfall in the high season based on municipality carrying capacities that were calculated by the government last year.

The federation said that it understands finding solutions will be difficult in the “short term” lead-up to peak summer season but criticised previous governments for their actions being “more reactive than preventive”.

In parliament, Balearic Islands president Marga Prohens advocated restricting the growth of tourism to prioritise “value, not volume”.

“I am proud to be the president of a tourist region and precisely because of this, I believe in tourism and the economic model. The time has come to set the limits that you (the opposition) did not set,” the Spanish politician said.

According to the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation, at least 155 hotels and resorts across Mallorca now stay open year-round for winter hiking breaks and summer holidays – twice as many as there were in 2019.

Holidaymakers at the busiest resorts were recently warned of an alcohol ban from shops between 9.30pm and 8am under a crackdown announced by the local government to deal with anti-social behaviour.

Last November, Frontera said: “In addition to July and August, British tourists are increasingly opting for Mallorca in the months before and after the summer.”

In response to concerns over mass tourism, demostrations have been planned in Mallorca on May 27, which coincides with the first day of UK half term.

Organisers of the island’s protest are calling for “accountability from institutions, because we want to live in our home, to protect our lives and because we do not want Majorca to become a luxury resort”, activists told the Majorca Daily Bulletin.