Mallorca and Mass Tourism: Can you Still Visit the Popular Spanish Island?

Last year there were 12.5 million tourists on the Spanish island of Mallorca. 12.5 million more than ever before. And this year the island is expected to be well visited again. Well, lots of sun, beaches and party. But wait, apparently times have changed here. Many Mallorcans are resisting the sell-off of their island, mass tourism and the consequences. In the spring and summer, tens of thousands of locals demonstrated in the capital, Palma de Mallorca. Where are the problems and how could they be solved? That's what I want to find out so that you know whether it's really still worth coming to Mallorca. This is one of the tourist hotspots on the island, the so-called Balaman, actually Balneario 6, a part of a white beach in El Arenal, very close to the capital. Balaman has been considered a problem area for years. Too many tourists who don't just come here to swim, but also want to party. This beach section is particularly popular with tourists from Germany. But why? It's just this vibe here, that's just spreading from people. You just come here together, have a good time, party here on the beach. It's really the perfect place to go on vacation. What's beautiful about Mallorca is that the sea is just a dream. We have a short flight and that's why we're here. We didn't want to be that far from the airport. We simply wanted to come here, relax, get on the beach and do nothing at all. We're here to party, that's why this is the best place. We're here for the day, to chill, to drink a little bit and in the evening we'll go to Schinkenstrasse. Well, it's just a cliché that you come here to drink and we want to party a little bit. Drinking is actually forbidden, you don't seem to care. What do you think about that? I think you're exaggerating a little bit. As long as everything runs peacefully and I'm here for the third time, I haven't seen anything that's not peaceful here yet. That's why I think it's absolutely okay if people have fun here. To be honest, before you came here, I didn't even have that on my radar. I just mentioned it briefly, but somehow no one keeps track of it. You don't find things like they used to be with buckets, etc. here anymore. It's really more that you still find people here on the beach with cans, but otherwise everything is fine. Many Mallorcans remain unconvinced that everything is calm now at Balamán. Pere Joan Feminia is one of the organizers of the demonstrations against mass tourism. Pere Joan, do you know that beach in the Arenal, in Balneario 6, where all the Germans are? Yes, the famous Arenal area, which also has the street of El Jamón, and there is the most tourist-focused part of German tourism. What do you think of that area? They are areas, like Magaluf or some coasts of Mallorca, that have been sacrificed for the tourist business, which is already focused on that aspect of tourism, and which is excluding and creating a problem for the population that lives in that place, as well as the problem of mass tourism that we have, which is generating this discomfort not only in that specific area, but throughout the island. And what do you want the government to do? We have been asking for a lot of years, not just this year, to regulate the capacity of the airport for the arrival of planes, and also to regulate the ability to accommodate tourists on the island. Tourists usually sleep in the beds, and if we restrict the number of beds and the number of hotel rooms there are, and also of Airbnb, of course, we can also regulate and control a little the number of tourists who come to the island. Less tourists also means less money, that causes another problem, right? Yes, for many years tourism has generated a lot of wealth, but we see that in recent years it has not been like that. That is, tourism does not generate wealth because wealth accumulates and is not distributed. How is the ideal tourist? There can be many types of tourists. There can be some who go more by bicycle, others who go by public transport, and that is very good. And the ideal tourist is the one who is aware of the issue, who knows that in Balearic Islands there is no unlimited water, we have some restrictions, we have cleaners that have to take the water from the sea, a lot of the food also comes from abroad, and that tourist knows all the problems that exist here and is more aware of the resources they use. There is little sense of such awareness here. Everything in El Arenal is geared towards mass processing. There is enough space for tourism, but hardly any affordable housing for locals. The place is actually not that beautiful. It's more functional. So hotels, apartments and restaurants. There are only a few historical buildings left, such as this church from the 19th century. At that time it was mainly fishermen and stonecutters who lived here. The economic boom only came with tourism. The upswing began in the 1960s. Rising living standards in much of Western Europe meant that flying was affordable. Mallorca was soon a favorite, especially with Germans. After all, it's just a two-and-a-half-hour flight from there. In 1970, almost two million tourists traveled to the Balearic Islands. In 2000, there were already over eight million. But with the tourism boom came problems. The drinking and partying tourists at Balaman became a nuisance. Very popular was so-called sangria bucket drinking. It is now banned. Mallorca wants to get away from the cheap Balaman image. Since May 2024, drinking alcohol has been banned on the streets and on the beach in El Arenal. The bans are enforced, but apparently there is little control. I've already seen a lot of people drinking beer out here. In any case, the locals have had enough. A broad alliance from bird protectors to the local group of Fridays for Future repeatedly organizes protests like this one in the center of Palma in July 2024. They are loudly demanding tourism to be limited. How is that supposed to work when so much depends on tourism in Mallorca? I have an appointment with the head of Mallorca tourism. He must have a plan. The symptom we have now is that society is tired of what? Tired of not being able to access housing? Is that just the fault of tourism? Or is it the fault that we have not done anything to improve the housing market? That we have not built more houses in the last ten years? That we have not given legal security to all those who want to rent their houses when there is a lot? Or mobility? That we have not done any type of mobility management in recent years? Improving infrastructures? I'm not saying creating more. Improving them to make them easier? What we are seeing is a reaction of society to a situation that is of dissatisfaction, of inequality, of lack of access to housing, of mobility issues, of risks with the environment. But it is not. We cannot make a mistake as an enemy. We cannot focus it there. Are you in contact with those who organize the demonstrations? Regarding the demonstrations, the only thing I would say, and I do want it to be clear, I think freedom of expression is very good. But watch out, because we know how these kinds of things start and not how they end. And watch out for the messages that are sent out. Because in the last demonstration in Barcelona, there were people who shot tourists with water guns. This is a mistake. And I am against all this. I think it is a misuse of the demonstration or of the problems it has. With respect and with dignity, one can express themselves. But to go to a bar and shoot a person with water guns, who has saved all this time and has chosen me to come and spend some time, I think it is not acceptable, it is not permissible, and it is not the path we have to follow. And what can the same tourist do, from his point of view, to improve the situation? Stop coming? No, not at all. No, no, no. Because the solution does not go that way. It's like, I don't know how to say it, if I don't want to have a headache, I cut my head off. No. This is the basis of people's ethics and morals. It is the basis of responsibility. You, as a person who comes from abroad, can be responsible for an island, which is what I ask of you, from the moment you plan your trip. Actually, there should be enough space for responsible tourists. Mallorca is a fairly large island. But the masses have already reached even the most remote corners. I'm on my way to the southeast of the island, to Santany. There are supposed to be beautiful little beaches there. They're hidden, but not so secret anymore. My destination, the Cove of Calo des Moros. The nearby parking lot fills up quickly. From here, it is a 20-minute walk to the cove. As you can see, I'm not the only one looking for the secret beaches. Direct access to the cove is closed today. Too many visitors. Photos and videos on social media have attracted many people. Looks like paradise. And there's the dilemma. Everyone wants to go where it's beautiful, including me. The unsecured descent is not for the faint of heart. The fact that Santany's mayor recently asked visitors to avoid the cove because of overcrowding apparently doesn't deter anyone. How did you get to know about this beach? From Instagram. I saw more reels on Instagram and we came. Well, on TikTok. Because now with social medias, I mean, it's really easy. And especially for us youngsters. From my friends, they told me about this place. Internet, Google. But it's also really beautiful, especially in the water. It has a pleasant temperature and is very clear. I was told that years ago this cove was rarely visited, even in high season. That has obviously changed completely. It's not that easy to find a solution. I think a healthy middle ground between mass tourism and a secluded paradise is needed. In other words, Mallorca needs balance. And be prepared that in high season there's a lot of people. But I think it's still worth a trip. So what do you think? What's your opinion? Feel free to leave a comment.