Majorca locals are voicing furious concerns over uncontrolled tourism growth, with experts warning residents feel “dispossessed of their territory” as mass holidaymaking pushes the island to its breaking point. Years of unchecked development, surging visitor numbers and a severe housing crisis have left many islanders feeling completely alienated in their own homes.
Speaking on the worsening crisis, Pere Salvà, professor emeritus of human geography at the University of the Balearic Islands, warned that the current growth model is failing the local population. “We have the perception that our island no longer belongs to us,” Professor Salvà explained. “The isolation imposed on residents is internal, as Mallorcans are being displaced and dispossessed of their territory. We are heading towards a trend in which residents are becoming isolated within the island itself.”
According to Prof Salvà, the island’s economic trajectory took a sharp downturn following the rapid expansion of mass tourism in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The rise of all-inclusive hotels and aparthotels triggered a period of uncontrolled growth that failed to translate into a better standard of living for locals, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.
Instead, the surge created immense pressure on basic services, infrastructure, natural resources and land.
As real estate firms increasingly target foreign buyers over local residents, affordable housing has virtually disappeared. Despite rising social discontent, Professor Salvà stressed that the issue is not direct anger towards individual visitors, but rather the sheer volume of the industry.
“Generally speaking, there isn’t tourismphobia in Majorca,” he stressed. “What exists is a feeling and perception of saturation of tourism and its related activities; not with tourists. This is the result of our physical and daily experience, linked to the feeling that we have exceeded our limit of resistance.”
He added that if overall profits from tourism continue to bypass local needs – such as fair wages, healthcare, and housing – the situation could become far more critical.
Calls are now growing for the Balearic Government to implement a strict, well-funded strategic plan to limit resource consumption and protect the residents’ quality of life before the island reaches total burnout.
Over 13.5 million tourists visited Majorca last year – a 1.4% increase over 2024, setting a new record for the island. Across the entire Balearic Islands – including Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera – overall tourist arrivals topped 19 million for the first time.
In July 2024, a “Mallorca is Not for Sale” rally was organised by over 80 civil groups (including Menys Turisme, Més Vida) and saw between 20,000 and 50,000 activists descend on central Palma, demanding limits on holiday lets, cruise ship arrivals and foreign property acquisitions. This summer, up to 70,000 protesters gathered once again, making it one of the largest anti-tourism marches in the island’s history.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
