Thousands of anti-tourism protesters in Majorca have announced their biggest demonstration yet, with representatives of 60 groups calling for a major protest on Sunday, June 15.
The demonstration aims to bring the streets of Palma, the Spanish island's capital and popular British holiday destination, to a standstill.
The protest comes as Spain struggles to balance tourism promotion with addressing citizens' concerns over a housing crisis that locals say has been fuelled by holidaymakers.
Activists warn they are getting nowhere despite previous calls to clampdown on tourists.
The June 15 demonstration will be held simultaneously with similar marches in Ibiza, Barcelona, Donosti and other major Spanish cities, marking the third major protest of its kind organised by campaigners demanding changes to Spain's current tourism model.
The demonstration will be led by campaign group Menys Turisme, Mes Vida (Less tourism, more life), which claims that the everyday life of locals has become "unbearable" thanks to foreign holidaymakers.
The June 15 demonstration will be held simultaneously with similar marches in Ibiza, Barcelona, Donosti and other major Spanish cities
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The platform is asking the island's residents to take to the streets to demand a change in the economic model and what they describe as "touristification".
The group has accused both the Balearic Islands' government of ignoring pleas for drastic changes in their current tourism model. They argue that their island is "not for sale" and that "it is urgent to put limits" on a tourism model that they consider increasingly destructive.
The activists also warned that with the start of the tourist season, "unbearable situations" are already being repeated on the island, including road closures due to tourist events and general saturation of public spaces and markets.
"We stand for the right to a dignified life and to demand an end to touristification", said Jaume Pujol, spokesman for Menys Turisme, Més Vida.
The group has criticised the local government, accusing them of promoting policies that have aggravated the mass tourism crisis.
Pujol's organisation argues that locals are being denied basic rights to affordable housing and peaceful living conditions. The campaign group maintains that current government policies have worsened rather than addressed the fundamental problems caused by mass tourism.
Activists say Majorca has been ruined by 'touristification'
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The protests follow major demonstrations in April, when tens of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets across the country
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The activists contend that official promotion of tourism has come at the expense of residents' quality of life. They claim the authorities have failed to implement meaningful restrictions on tourist numbers or protect local communities from the negative impacts of overtourism.
The protests follow major demonstrations in April, when tens of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets across the country to demand solutions to the cost of living crisis they say has been exacerbated by tourism.
According to organisers, 30,000 people took to the streets of Malaga, though police reported around 5,000 demonstrators took part in the march.
Residents held banners reading "Houses for the people of Málaga. Hotels for tourists, affordable rents" and hung posters from balconies with messages saying "Housing is a right, not a business".
In Madrid, around 15,000 people gathered and marched towards Plaza de España shouting slogans like "Landlords are thieves" and "Madrid will be the tomb of rentals".
Marchers chanted "Get Airbnb out of our neighbourhoods" and held up signs against short-term rentals, with angry renters pointing to international hedge funds buying properties for tourist rentals.
Spain recorded a record-breaking number of tourists last year, with over 15 million visitors flocking to the island of Mallorca alone
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Spain recorded a record-breaking number of tourists last year, with over 15 million visitors flocking to the island of Mallorca alone. The surge in tourism has coincided with a dramatic rise in housing costs, with average rent almost doubling in the last 10 years from 7.2 euros per square metre in 2014 to 13 euros last year.
According to Spain's central bank, almost 40 per cent of Spanish families who rent spend nearly half of their income on housing.
Incomes have failed to keep up with rising costs, especially for younger people in a country with chronically high unemployment.
In response to the housing crisis, the government announced it would scrap its 'golden visa' programme granting residency rights to foreigners who make large investments in real estate.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said this would help make access to affordable housing "a right instead of a speculative business".
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