Protests in Mallorca - enough to put you off?

[Vopik]

Friends have found a nice air BnB in Mallorca. But given everything that is going on there with protests I would feel very uncomfortable. Dh is saying that I need to let it go but what’s the point of spending money if I will be feeling like my presence is unwanted.

@saoirse31 I assume you are Irish. Therefore you must support the actions of Catholic priests. Right? Or would you be indignant and angry about being stereotyped ?

Don’t stereotype the British. 48% of those voting in the referendum did NOT want to leave the EU. I have never knowingly met anybody at all who voted for Brexit. And 0% of the British population voted to leave Europe.

I have a property in Spain where I stay for couple of months a year. It is usually a very nice stay, locals are friendly (and, to be fair, they still are for the most part) and the travel is no hassle at all. This spring, however, I felt a real difference. For starters, there is graffiti everywhere saying "tourists go home", the airport experience was absolutely shocking. I was shouted at by a security person, the lady who was checked behind me was was asked what she smoked (she had some rizzla papers on the tray) and when she said tobacco, the security person asked he if this was all she was smoking and why should they believe her.
The people in the actual town are still lovely to tourists - they know that their livelihoods depend on them as a lot of businesses didn't survive 2020-2021.
I will add that my banking has also become an issue. My account is currently blocked for no reason whatsoever and I am having to provide evidence of all sorts to have it reopened despite being with the same bank for 15 years. Honestly, I feel like I am being treated as a criminal and I won't be going there again and will put my flat on the market after this season.
I very much empathise with the sentiment of wanting to protect the natural beauty of the island with some tourist controls but I still think it is not right the way they are going about it.

It would be nice if we she expressed some solidarity with the Mallorcans like you did.

Instead it's all abiut her spending money.

Stay in uk. You wanted to 'leave ' Europe , so leave

I think I'll drive my campervan all over Europe instead, thanks.

That's a disgusting equivalence.

Sorry what? How do you know the OP's voting history? What have I missed?

Some of them just don’t want British tourists, because of the drunkenness and poor behaviour.

If you act properly, I’m sure they will be fine.

I'm a little concerned about my upcoming holiday to Gran Canaria as well tbh.
I don't want to be shouted at, or refused entry to the beach.

Yes and of course that makes absolute sense and rightly so but even having a British accent would make me a bit paranoid and you will be affronting someone with your presence. A holiday is supposed to be fun and relaxing so why bother going at all.

It is up to the Mallorcan (Spanish) local Government to get its act together. Same applies anywhere that tourism is overwhelming local life, housing, low pay, infrastructure, police, transport etc.

In an ideal world there should only be hotels and aparthotels, no AirBnB or short lets. That would help locals get housing. Increase the minimum wage to realistic levels and so on.

There is a cost to the traveller of course, but it might be worth paying. Tourist taxes are a waste of time IMV, the amount is so small in the context of a weeks holiday that most don't mind paying it. I don't think it puts anyone off.

In high tourist areas like Florence, Rome, Paris, Barcelona and so on, a limit on the number of tourists per day is the ideal, but how to figure out a way to do this is another thing altogether.

Anyone who travels anywhere on holiday/citybreak/long haul etc. are guilty. Me included.

Surely the protests aren't specifically aimed at British tourists?

There really aren't protests to talk about (except in British press) . J. You are unlikely to find any even if you hunt them out. Go and enjoy your holiday

Unfortunately, locals are very much protesting tourists. I understand why they're so pissed off but I do think the problems are mainly down to the actions (or inactions) of Spanish politicians.

But then there is the issue of tourists getting drunk and behaving like arseholes.....

i thought they were but DH told me about it on Saturday, maybe he was thinking of someone else. At the end of the day, even if it is all tourists, it is still obvious you are tourist (usually).

I thought similar protests were happening on some Greek Islands a few weeks ago.

Do you mean the EU ? I'm not sure we could physically leave Europe

Do you rent it out the rest of the time?

Where do the anti tourist people in Spain and Cornwall go on holiday?

I’m in two minds.

On one hand, the way the media report is like the whole island is erupting into protest. I know three people who’ve been in the last month with no issues at all.

That said, it’s clear there are strong feeling and they don’t want tourists. Ultimately it’s their island, there are lots of other, similar, options, so I probably wouldn’t go and would pick somewhere else.

Only to friends and family. I used to do long term lets to the locals but after 12 years of my flat being trashed, rent non-payments and multiple costly court evictions I said no more, installed water tight security and we now just use it for our family.

It's not like there's a political uprising, you would be safe. Some people got hacked off on one beach. No worse than the random protests you get around the UK. If that's where you want to go then go. Plenty of locals make good money from tourists it's not a universal sentiment. I imagine brainless Brits do get a bit wearing after a while, so I'm not entirely surprised some locals have had enough.

If you are concerned, try going to parts of Spain that aren't in the tourist brochures and away from the main British ghettos. Valencia is beautiful and on a strip of coastline barely visited by Brits until you get to Salou up north or Benidorm down south. I've experienced nothing but a warm welcome from Spanish people. Even more so when you venture beyond the usual British hotspots.

We’ve managed to move our tiny island to a different continent have we?

Honestly yes it would put me off. I'd look elsewhere.

Parents have a holiday home in SW France. Pre Brexit and even now you get rudeness everywhere. The worst so far was in a tabac with a friend where I went to buy stamps and have a drink. They might’ve well said fuck off to us then and there.

DP’s are thinking of selling up.

The original French owners told DP’s there was a strip of land next to the house they’d been told could be bought for a pool. The Maire (mayor) told them afterwards (it was his land) he was keeping it for his daughter. Luckily their garden is big enough so pool went there. Maire has never used his land.

We are all fairly fluent in French but sometimes due to rudeness we don’t speak it. Local train station ticket office person on more than one occasion told us wrong info about trains so we deliberately missed them. Then they complain that villages are empty and a lot of younger people head for bigger towns and cities to work.

You know how close the Brexit was, right? What a stupid response.