Tourism revenue is falling dramatically in Mallorca – because all the protests on the island are scaring away foreign visitors. This is according to people in the tourism industry who are starting to get desperate, according to media reports.
“The hostility towards tourists is hurting us a lot,” says Biel Rosales, head of a travel company.
The recurring protests and demonstrations against tourists in Mallorca are scaring away visitors – and locals say some tourist resorts are ”completely dead”, writes the Daily Mail.
“The tourists we are interested in are being driven away. They don't feel welcome and are going to other destinations,” Miguel Pérez-Marza, head of the nightclub and restaurant association, told the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
”Tourists choose other destinations”
The situation is so dire that a number of companies in the industry have given their staff a vacation in mid-July, which is usually the peak of the tourist season. Guides are also starting to face financial problems. The number of guided tours has dropped by 20 percent this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
“The messages against tourists are starting to have an impact. Tourists are choosing other destinations when they go on holiday. We are sending out the message that we don’t want tourists and everything is too packed,” says Pedro Oliver, head of guide training at Majorca.
According to a travel agency that works with cruise ships, the number of tours booked by each ship has decreased from 30 to twelve.
”Not desirable”
“People don't travel to places where they are not wanted,” says Rafel Roig, chairman of the Mallorcan Transport Association.
British tourists have reacted most strongly to the hostile atmosphere, but tourists from other countries are also staying home, according to the Daily Mail.
"You couldn't get around on this street at 7pm before. It was full of tourists, but now it's completely dead. Lots of Germans and Brits just stay home," Lesly Johnson, 66, who has lived in Mallorca for more than 30 years, told the newspaper.
Angry protests
Earlier this year, angry protests against tourism took to the streets. Protesters held up signs saying ”Go home!” aimed at foreign visitors. Some fired water pistols at tourists, while others surrounded tourists and shouted at them to go home.
The figures for tourism in June are expected to be published in the coming months. The July statistics will not be published until September.
Source: Expressen.se
