‘Tourists go home’ say Spanish locals in backlash to holiday boom

[webfact]

‘Tourists go home’ say Spanish locals in backlash to holiday boom



"They want to turn us into a theme park"

PALMA: -- Enough is enough… ‘Foreign tourists go home!’

So say some exasperated residents in Palma, Majorca, who have resorted to graffiti in a backlash against a booming tourist trade.

On the walls of the grand old houses of the Balearic port which attracts millions of foreigners every year,
scrawled messages of this kind have flourished.

One urges tourists to leave but says: “Refugees welcome”.

While still a minority protest, tensions are real in Majorca and elsewhere in Spain over a surge in visitors which is certainly boosting the economy but also, critics say, disrupting the lives of residents and straining local services.

A popular holiday venue for decades, Spain is drawing record numbers of visitors this year as tourists shun other destinations where security is a concern, such as Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia.

The surge has helped the country recover from recession and alleviate a jobs crisis. But, for many Spaniards, the jump in tourism has a downside.

“They want to turn us into a theme park, a place you close the doors on at night because no-one lives there,” said Luis Clar, who heads an association in the La Seu neighborhood of Palma, home to its main monuments.

In the Balearic Islands off Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast, nearly a third of employment depends on the sector. It accounts for nearly half the economic output, more than in any other region. The local economy has just recovered to its pre-crisis level after a five-year downturn.

Yet unease over the boom is spreading among the population.

In the drought-prone island of Ibiza water reserves are getting tight and in rural Menorca fears are mounting that natural beauty-spots risk being spoiled.

In spots like Magaluf on Majorca, binge drinking and boisterous behaviour have long been a problem.

On one day last August, the population across the Balearics nearly doubled, reaching a record 2 million.

The latest data from March shows visitors to the archipelago were up nearly 50 percent from 2015 in that month alone, swelled by arrivals from Britain in particular. All-inclusive holidays for the peak summer months are selling out.

In Palma, residents know that there are days to avoid the city centre, especially when cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers mass in the harbour, and some worry that entire neighbourhoods will turn into holiday lets.

Similar concerns led to angry protests in Barcelona two years ago, where residents in beachfront areas rallied against the rise in drunk and disorderly holidaymakers that coincided with a blossoming trade in tourist apartments.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-05-31

[casualbiker]

The Spanish are no longer able to suck on the EU teat and amazingly don't like the money that tourism brings in!

[coma]

I understand that tourists pee the local population off in most countries. Look at the Chinese and the sex tourist here in LOS. Most Thais outside the tourism industry despise these types. But, given the current economic climate, where else is Spain going to get its cash from ? The manufacturing industry across the globe is still in a rut and that means more pain for Spain and other countries that rely on such exports.

[robertthebruce]

Spain has always been popular with British Chavs....

They flock there, for cheap booze, sunshine.........

[ourmanflint]

About 40 years too late Pedro! You should have told us to stay away in the 70's

[up2u2]

A more accurate sign would be.

"Disrespectful drunk and violent tourists go home"

[jaidam]

money spenders go away, freeloaders welcome. in the '70s we had Irish jokes about such daftness.

[JingerBen]

A more accurate sign would be.

"Disrespectful drunk and violent tourists go home"

Especially that lot, but mass tourism is a disaster for any country that experiences it.

No amount of money can compensate for the damage it does.

[JetsetBkk]

I call BS on this. This is a made up story from Euronews. Google it - no other news outlet is covering this, just some that are copying the Euronews story because that's what they always do.

[Chicog]

I think they should be promoting their wonderful country in China.

Then see how unhappy they are.

[pauleddy]

Actually it was dear old Franco who opened Spain up to tourism in the 1960s. I lived on the Costa del Sol for many, many years.

Totally agree about the Chinese (mainland ones, I gather). I flew from KL to DM airport yesterday. Herds of Chinese both on the plane and in DM. Impolite, loud, no idea about queuing...nary a good thing to say about them. What's to be done?

Eddy

[copa8]

This article is mainly about hordes of British tourists invading Spain, yet many comments here are directed at Mainland Chinese tourists. LOL! Lots of repressed racism.

[Ulic]

After experiencing a massive downturn in the economy and youth unemployment at over

40% I find it hard to believe people would rather have the mass unemployment. Getting

rid of drunken louts yes, but that is a matter for the police. Jail them, fine them, release

them with less euro to spend on booze. No problem.

[Baerboxer]

This article is mainly about hordes of British tourists invading Spain, yet many comments here are directed at Mainland Chinese tourists. LOL! Lots of repressed racism.

How ironic. The article is about increasing tourists - where does it say British? Only in your racist mind. Germans, Dutch, French, Italians, Scandinavians, etc are all tourists. The article suggests holidaymakers are going back to Spain in preference to areas that are now considered more risky due to terrorism. Germans certainly rival British for visiting Spain and it's islands.

As for the Spanish. There isn't much else contributing to their economy, the EU gravy train doesn't flow like it used to thanks to the Greeks, and Spain was pretty close to being another Greece financially. They should be grateful.

[Baerboxer]

This article is mainly about hordes of British tourists invading Spain, yet many comments here are directed at Mainland Chinese tourists. LOL! Lots of repressed racism.

How ironic. The article is about increasing tourists - where does it say British? Only in your racist mind. Germans, Dutch, French, Italians, Scandinavians, etc are all tourists. The article suggests holidaymakers are going back to Spain in preference to areas that are now considered more risky due to terrorism. Germans certainly rival British for visiting Spain and it's islands.

As for the Spanish. There isn't much else contributing to their economy, the EU gravy train doesn't flow like it used to thanks to the Greeks, and Spain was pretty close to being another Greece financially. They should be grateful.

[tomyumchai]

'we would rather have refugees'

.....was that slogan thought up by the same brainiac who wanted chinese over western tourists in another tourist destination?

[Sooo Upto Me]

Spain has always been popular with British Chavs....

They flock there, for cheap booze, sunshine.........

Yes I remembered my days bac in the 90s Magaluf an Palma Nova, Lads holidays

???

[stevenl]

This article is mainly about hordes of British tourists invading Spain, yet many comments here are directed at Mainland Chinese tourists. LOL! Lots of repressed racism.

The latest data from March shows visitors to the archipelago were up nearly 50 percent from 2015 in that month alone, swelled by arrivals from Britain in particular.

How ironic. The article is about increasing tourists - where does it say British? Only in your racist mind. Germans, Dutch, French, Italians, Scandinavians, etc are all tourists. The article suggests holidaymakers are going back to Spain in preference to areas that are now considered more risky due to terrorism. Germans certainly rival British for visiting Spain and it's islands.

As for the Spanish. There isn't much else contributing to their economy, the EU gravy train doesn't flow like it used to thanks to the Greeks, and Spain was pretty close to being another Greece financially. They should be grateful.

From the article 'swelled by arrivals from Britain in particular'.

Better read the article first before correcting others about it.

[daveAustin]

Let's hope the tourists defer to Portugal instead and Spain gets flooded with refugees. Give the locals what they want, but they'll have to put their hand in their fat pocket.

[Deli]

They bite the hand that feeds them, pretty moronic.

[mesterm]

This article is mainly about hordes of British tourists invading Spain, yet many comments here are directed at Mainland Chinese tourists. LOL! Lots of repressed racism.

And you think that there's so much negativity about Chinese tourists for no reason at all? Don't be naive.

[TooPoopedToPop]

A more accurate sign would be.

"Disrespectful drunk and violent tourists go home"

Especially that lot, but mass tourism is a disaster for any country that experiences it.

No amount of money can compensate for the damage it does.

Exactly.

Only an imbecile would seriously believe otherwise.

I've seen what mass tourism has done to Thailand in the last 30+ years.

The damage done is on many levels, physical as well as psychological.

Local people who make their living off tourists almost always dislike them to one extent or another; from amused contempt to a deep-seated loathing.

"Disaster" is a good word for the whole business.

[swanny321]

Spanish locals do sometimes have an ingrate, peasant mentality!

[copa8]

This article is mainly about hordes of British tourists invading Spain, yet many comments here are directed at Mainland Chinese tourists. LOL! Lots of repressed racism.

And you think that there's so much negativity about Chinese tourists for no reason at all? Don't be naive.

Talking about Mainland Chinese tourists here would be like bitching about British tourists on an article about Chinese tourists in Thailand.

Anyway, you can rant more about Chinese tourists here, if you wanted to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3211218/Brits-behaving-badly-Infographic-reveals-countries-holidaymakers-likely-arrested-answers-surprise-you.html

[Pinot]

I think they should be promoting their wonderful country in China.

Then see how unhappy they are.

You nailed that Chicog. I wonder how many Russians they're getting? They're another joy.

Yeah, shut up Spain. When the world gives you lemons, make sangria.

[mesterm]

This article is mainly about hordes of British tourists invading Spain, yet many comments here are directed at Mainland Chinese tourists. LOL! Lots of repressed racism.

And you think that there's so much negativity about Chinese tourists for no reason at all? Don't be naive.

Talking about Mainland Chinese tourists here would be like bitching about British tourists on an article about Chinese tourists in Thailand.

Anyway, you can rant more about Chinese tourists here, if you wanted to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3211218/Brits-behaving-badly-Infographic-reveals-countries-holidaymakers-likely-arrested-answers-surprise-you.html

Nah, there are many other sites to rant about Chinese tourists. Many, many sites. And you wonder why.

[nausea]

Mass tourism is always a bad thing for the locals. It seems good, at the start, cos it generates income. When local customs and culture are eroded enough, the locals start to see the bad side, by then it's usually too late.