Majorca locals exclaim they 'miss the English who spend money' as anti-tourist protests backfire

Earlier this year, the Balearic Government outlined plans to "reduce dependence on traditional tourist markets", specifically mentioning British and German tourists.

Now, as the holiday season winds down, staff at the resort spoke about their concerns over a "terrible" season.

Olly from Lineker’s Bar told The Telegraph: "This is usually a British destination, but this year there are zero.

"Instead we have the German, the French, Portuguese, Italians. But the problem is they book an all-inclusive hotel, then eat, drink and do everything in the hotel. They don’t go out for a party."

Another member of staff at Lineker’s, Carla, said: "The year started off well, but after June it got terrible."

She pointed out how British groups would usually come in at 10am and drink right through to the evening, adding: "They’re trying to make it more upmarket and target families, but they don’t spend. We might get a group of Italians that come and have an espresso for four hours."

Under restrictions introduced last year, tourists in Playa de Palma and Magaluf, as well as San Antonio in Ibiza, must stick to certain authorised zones when drinking.

Anyone caught outside said areas will face fines of €500 to 1,500 (£433 to 1,301) if their behaviour "disrupts coexistence, involves crowds or deteriorates the tranquillity of the environment".

The crowd control measures supplement restrictions on shops selling alcohol in "excessive tourism" areas, which must now shut completely between 9.30pm and 8am.

However, staff said places have been quieter throughout the day, with British tourism trends differing from European counterparts.

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Ann-Charlotte, a bartender at the Chili Lounge beachfront restaurant, echoed Carla's sentiments about the Italians.

She said: "The Italians, they don’t eat and drink. They come and share an espresso between four people. We miss the English, because the English spend money."

Nathalie Reveny, assisting hotel manager at the Zafiro Palace PalmaNova just outside the resort, had another theory.

She told The Telegraph: "Since the pandemic we’ve noticed a rise in last-minute bookings...Because the weather has been so beautiful back at home [in Britain], I think that has had a big effect."

On top of the protests, things are getting pricier as a result of the new tax.

Cat from Vibe Mallorca said: "If you have guys in their 20s, they make money and they come here and spend €1,000 in one week.

"It’s never going to be the same when a family of four comes to stay here. We have the marina, water park and golf, but they don’t want to book it.

"The biggest problem is people take an Airbnb, cook in there and buy everything in the supermarket, and don’t go out. They should stick with the young lads."

Speaking about the issue on GB News, businessman and activist Adam Brooks said businesses in the resort "really rely on our tourism".

He claimed: "To blanket everyone together just because there's a few youngsters that go and get blindly drunk in Magaluf or an area like that, I think is very unfair.

"I think these anti-tourism protesters do need to realise that there's many that are horrified.

"They're protesting and horrified that if Britons stopped coming here, their restaurant would go bust or their car hire firm would go bust."