A Majorca hotellier has slammed anti-tourism protests in Majorca, declaring that overcrowding was confined to “four streets in Palma”. President of the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation Javier Vich reiterated that “Mallorca’s tourism success stems precisely from its hospitality”, and claimed the island “isn’t overcrowded or subject to collapse”, at a tourism fair in Berlin.
He conceded that Palma has a problem in certain areas, and “perhaps it is more than four streets,” but there are neighbourhoods that “don’t have any problems”. While acknowledging busy areas such as Soller and downtown Palma, he added: “If you ask me if Peguera or Santa Ponsa are overcrowded, the answer is no. And the same goes for Cala Millor, Cala d’Or, Playa de Muro.”
It follows seven protest groups telling tourists to “stay home” in an open letter that warned tourists they were the source of their problems.
Vich believes the frustration has been driven by the “uncontrolled” growth of holiday lets and apartments, as opposed to hotels.
The hotel sector underwent an investment of three billion euros, which he thinks has been “undermined by the excessive increase in holiday rentals, which is the heart of the problem”.
Compared to an increase of 23,000 more hotel beds since 2015, holiday rental beds rose by a staggering 115,000 in the same time period, according to Vich.
The president added: “So, talking about collapse and overcrowding throughout the year is neither accurate nor coherent. The exponential growth of illegal tourism in the islands and the excessive growth in holiday rentals is what has led to the feeling of overcrowding in some areas.”
Issues such as a lack of housing have been “used to attack tourism” and turn it into a “punchbag”, according to Vich, as the Balearic population has grown by 42 percent in the last 25 years.
He said narratives now endanger tourism in an island that heavily relies on its income, generating 52 percent of the Balearic’s GDP, at 22.4 billion euros.
He added: “We are facing an unprecedented housing crisis due to inaction or the lack of housing policies over the last 20 years. And it is unfair to blame a government that has been in power for two years.”
The president urged that no more new holiday licenses should be issued, and that existing licenses should not be renewed.
