Another protest against mass tourism in Spain

Last weekend, thousands of people protested in the small town of Sóller, Mallorca, against mass tourism, which they say is driving up rents and making life increasingly unaffordable for the local population. Protesters flooded the central square with banners and slogans denouncing what they call an unsustainable “tourism monoculture,” in which visitors take priority over residents.

The protesters claim that the growth in tourism has profoundly transformed their communities: local businesses are giving way to tourist shops, cultural identity is eroding, and residents feel like strangers in their own town.

“We live in a city and on an island that can’t take it anymore,” one of the organizers told the British newspaper The Times. “We reached our limits years ago; we’ve been protesting for years, and yet no one is listening to us.”

The housing crisis is a major source of criticism. Real estate prices in Mallorca have risen sharply: since 2015, they have nearly doubled, with foreign buyers accounting for a significant share of transactions. As a result, many residents—even those with stable incomes—can no longer afford to buy or rent a home.

While the economic benefits of tourism are recognized, many residents say that the drawbacks now outweigh them. Public services and essential sectors are also affected, as workers such as judicial staff and employees in the hospitality and restaurant industries struggle to make ends meet on the island due to high rents. Shared living arrangements have become commonplace, even among experienced professionals.

Although organizers emphasize that the protests are directed at the tourism model and not at individual tourists, some messages seemed hostile, reflecting growing frustration. The number of visitors has reached record levels, with 19 million tourists in the Balearic Islands alone in 2025. This is putting increased pressure on infrastructure and daily life.

Even local authorities are taking steps to limit overcrowding, such as restricting access to popular tourist sites.

Overall, these protests highlight a growing conflict between economic dependence on tourism and the social and economic sustainability of residents’ lives.