Thousands of locals today marched across Spanish Islands to tell Brits to ‘go home’ as part of widespread protests against so-called ‘over tourism’.
Holidaymakers were visibly stunned by the dramatic demonstrations in Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza on Sunday afternoon.
Thousands of fed-up locals were seen banging their drums and chanting slogans while marching by tourists enjoying their evening meals.
The demonstration began at Plaza de España, in the heart of the tourist city, shortly after 6pm.
Activists claim more than 30,000 people took to the streets to voice their frustrations about the impact of tourism on the island.
Placards held up by marchers read: ‘Tourists go home’, ‘Mallorca is not for sale’ and ‘Mallorca is not your cash cow… go home.’
Footage shows Brits visibly shocked by the demonstrations, while some tourists were seen taking refuge on their accommodation balconies.
Other signs read: ‘Your vacations, our anxiety.’
Dozens of placards read ‘tourists go home… refugees welcome’, while a group of teenagers could be heard chanting ‘tourists go home!’ as they marched through the city.
Tourists watch in Mallorca as demonstrators hold a banner reading ‘For the right to a decent life’
Demonstrators hold a cardboard cruise boat during the protest in Palma de Mallorca
Activists have claimed more than 30,000 people attended the protest today
Around 1,000 people attened a protest in Ibiza this evening, also calling for tourists to ‘go home’
A woman holds up a placard reading: ‘tourists go home… refugees welcome’
Children taking part in the protest were seen carrying water pistols, with plans to spray holidaymakers as they pass on by.
Protesters were heard chanting slogans against Airbnb and ‘guiris’ – the Spanish slang term used to describe Brits and other foreigners.
One placard read: ‘Rich foreign property buyers go to hell’, while another said: ‘Enough is enough.’
Local resident Oriol, 40, told MailOnline: ‘I’m protesting because I don’t want 80% of my money to go on rent.
‘I don’t want to be forced to speak only English or German in by apartment block.
‘I don’t want my friends to have to go to the mainland when they have children just to be able to afford a dignified life, a lot of us are fed up.’
Alex, 32, has a masters degree and a well-paying job.
He told MailOnline: ‘I’m here because I cannot afford to buy my own place, I’m having to live with my parents because the rent is also too much.
Protesters were heard chanting slogans against Airbnb and ‘guiris’ – the Spanish slang term used to describe Brits and other foreigners
The demonstration began at Plaza de España, in the heart of the tourist city, shortly after 6pm
Protests also took place on the Spanish island of Ibiza in front of tourists eating their meals
Tourists continue with their meals and drinks as the anti tourism protesters go by in the Old Town in Ibiza on Sunday evening
‘There are also far too many people coming to the island for holiday, our resources cannot cope, there needs to be a limit.’
The demonstrations are taking place in major destinations including Barcelona, Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca, San Sebastian, Granada, Tenerife and Malaga.
Other European destinations involved in the action include Venice in Italy and Lisbon in Portugal.
The action is designed to ‘call attention to the social and environmental costs of overtourism.’
The protests have been organised by the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification (SET), and are supported by local activist groups.
Many locals living in tourist hotspots in Spain believe the industry’s model has become too excessive.
They say the numbers of visitors continue to increase year by year, creating an increasing demand on local resources.
They also complain that the overwhelming amount of tourist activity is causing environmental pollution, particularly in Tenerife, where natural landscapes are not being properly protected by local authorities, while a surge in pleasure boats and sewage waste are polluting the marine environment, they claim.
Protesters took to the streets in Mallorca telling Brits to ‘go home’ amid soaring rent and housing prices
Demonstrators holds banners reading ‘For another tourism model’ and ‘For the right to a decent life’
A man watches on from his balcony as protesters line the streets below
More importantly, the explosion of Airbnb-style properties has seen property prices surge over the past five to 10 years.
In holiday hotspots, landlords are choosing to rent to tourists instead of selling or renting to local families.
This is stripping housing supply and making the available stock far more expensive and out of reach for a growing number of locals.
The protesters marched for over a kilometre before gathering in Plaza de Reina near to the seafront. A series of activists gave speeches demanding a ‘drastic’ change in laws regarding the tourism industry – including banning Airbnb style properties from the island.
Dozens of officers from the armed National Police force were seen escorting the protesters throughout the march, which ended without incident.
In Ibiza, another popular Spanish island for British holidaymakers, similar protests took place demanding reductions to tourism.
Around 1,000 protesters took part in the march organised by major anti-tourism platform Canviem el Rumb, which has been carrying out demonstrations in the Spanish holiday hotspot over the last year.
Security was stepped up to protect tourists from the demonstrators, who left Portal de Ses Taules in the town centre at around 6pm and ended at Plaza de sa Graduada, in front of the courts at 9pm.
Thousands took to the streets to make their voices heard about the scale of tourism on Mallorca
Protesters hold a banner reading ‘Mallorca is not for sale’ during a demonstration to protest against the massification of tourism and housing prices on the island of Mallorca in Palma de Mallorca on May 25, 2024
Major demonstrations also took place across other cities in Spain, including Barcelona, and San Sebastián, as well as other European cities in Portugal and Italy.
The protests aim to keep pressure on governments to address the problems generated by tourism, including rising rents, housing shortages and environmental damage.
Canviem el Rumb is campaigning for a reduction in tourism, which it claims is having an adverse effect on Ibiza.
‘Although each of them will have their own characteristics, they will all jointly critique mass tourism and luxury tourism,’ said Pau Kokura, a member of Canviem el Rumb.
The group says tourism is only helping the rich whilst the poor in Ibiza suffer, especially due to the lack of affordable housing.
It also argues that there is an overabundance of hotel rooms, making it impossible for residents to afford rentals and therefore remain on the island.
Agnès Vidal, another member of the organization, said: ‘Mass tourism affects many aspects of our daily lives. This time, we want to highlight five key areas: the first, the right to water, because we have villages that dedicate themselves to irrigating water when the people of the island reduce their consumption.
‘The second, the right to have a property in good condition. Third, we demand decent work, because people who work, especially during the summer, do so in terrible conditions in many sectors.
Tourists watch on as protesters march through the Old Town in Ibiza
Mallorca is not for sale’ reads a protest banner held by a girl in a march against housing prices and the impact of tourism on the residents of the Balearic Islands, in Palma, Mallorca, Spain, April 5,
‘We also demand the right to rest, which is often not possible with the mega-clubs. The fifth block is housing. We have more and more people living in substandard housing around Ibiza Town. And that’s why we have to find a solution.’
Activists believe the current tourism model is ‘unsustainable’ and pushing the islands toward collapse.
They want to limit the number of tourists visiting the islands, ban new hotel construction and introduce a tougher tourist tax, among other measures.
But Brits holidaying in Tenerife previously told MailOnline the locals ‘should be careful what they wish for.’
A poll by Majorca Daily Bulletin found that around 44 per cent of people will now think twice about booking a holiday on the popular island after huge demonstrations over mass tourism.
Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency warned: ‘If this survey is accurate, local protestors should be careful what they wish for.
‘The Majorcan (and other local islands) economy relies heavily on tourism to create jobs and bring money into the region.
‘It would be a disaster for the area if the protests, however valid, cut off the flow of visitors and reduce income.
An aerial view of people gathering to protest soaring housing prices as part of a nationwide demonstration organized by tenant unions under the slogan ‘End the Housing Business’ in Madrid, Spain on April 05, 2025
A large number of people filled the streets of Palma de Mallorca, in a march against housing prices and the impact of tourism on the residents of the Balearic islands, in Palma, Mallorca, Spain, April 5
‘The solution is to work with local authorities on spreading the number of visitors into the shoulder seasons, so there is a flow of tourists throughout the year rather than be concentrated over the summer.’
One regular visitor to Tenerife told MailOnline last month echoed the same sentiment.
Paul Nixon, 60, from Staffordshire said: ‘I think they need to be careful what they wish for, the island is so dependent on tourism.
‘I think bookings are down already to be honest, it seems quieter this year.
‘I saw they were spraying tourists with water in Barcelona which is completely wrong, if they started doing that here then we would definitely be put off coming.’
