- Gegner des Massentourismus wollen Ballermanns Platz "besetzen"
Eine Bürgerinitiative plant erneut eine Protestaktion gegen den Massentourismus auf Mallorca. Sie rufen über soziale Medien zu einer symbolischen Besetzung einer Beachbar am sogenannten Ballermann auf. Die Protestaktion von "Mallorca Platja Tour" am beliebten deutschen Touristenstrand "Balneario 6" ist für diesen Sonntag zwischen 11:00 und 13:00 geplant.
Dies ist die dritte Aktion dieser Art auf der spanischen Ferieninsel. Bei ihren ersten beiden symbolischen "Besetzungen" Ende Mai am Strand Sa Ràpita und Mitte Juni an der sogenannten Instagram-Bucht Calò des Moro waren jeweils nur wenige Dutzend Menschen beteiligt. Am Ballermann am Sonntag werden die Protestler wahrscheinlich deutlich in der Unterzahl sein.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands took to the streets of Palma this year to protest against mass tourism on two separate occasions. One of the main reasons for the discontent is the housing shortage caused by holiday rentals. Traffic jams, noise, and dirt also fray tempers.
Not everyone benefits from tourism income
The Balearic Islands, of which Mallorca is the main island, are home to around 1.2 million locals. Last year, they were visited by 18 million tourists, including 4.6 million from Germany and 3.4 million from the UK. This means there were approximately 15 tourists for every local resident.
Tourism is vital for Mallorca's economy, accounting for 45% of the island's GDP. Protesters complain that only a minority benefits, while the majority in the sector earn low wages that are not enough to afford increasingly expensive housing.
The Community expressed their concerns about the impact of mass tourism on Mallorca, urging for change in the housing situation caused by holiday rentals. Despite their protests, The Community often finds themselves outnumbered by tourists, such as on Sunday at the Balermann.
