Locals have protested against overtourism in Majorca (Image: Getty)
The boss of a hotel group has furiously denied claims that too many are flooding the popular island, arguing they are completely “false”. Javier Vich, president of the Mallorca Hotel Federation, has claimed the sunny hotspot loved by Brits “is not an overcrowded, saturated or collapsed destination”.
Speaking at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin, he said: “We have, like any destination in the world, specific places where we do have a tourist influx due to the popularity of the place. But we have to send a message that it is not possible to generalise when we talk about overcrowding, because it is not the reality, it is categorically false.” He added that, following talks with tour operators, they are not concerned about overcrowding but admitted there are “four, five or six areas that do have a large influx of tourists”.
Spanish authorities are mulling an extended tourist tax (Image: Getty)
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However, the president of the Mallorca Hotel Federation did recognise that some locals have complained of overtourism, as reported by the .
He stressed this is limited to “certain streets, not to say four streets in the city of Palma”, admitting these can at times be rammed with visitors.
It comes after major anti-mass tourism movement organised several demonstrations against tourist overcrowding in Majorca.
In a statement last month, the Menys Turisme, Més Vida (less tourism, more life) platform warned of its intention to regroup ahead of the upcoming tourist season.
The movement said it was reposnding to “the Balearic government’s new tourist campaign, the announcements of billion-dollar investments, the boom in property speculation and luxury tourism while the housing problem worsens”.
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It also criticised the continuation of policies that “only favour the liberalisation of land” and favour speculation and business in the context of a climate and ecological crisis as well as the foreseeable “faliure” of the Pact for Sustainability round tables.
However, Spanish authorities are now considering extending tourist taxes on the Balearic islands, which include Majorca.
The idea is to raise more money to reinvest in local communities, with proceeds going to building more affordable housing and implementing environmental protection schemes.
Tourist taxes in Balearics were first introduced in 2016 and currently the charge in Majorca is between €1-€4 (84p-£3.35) per day for the first eight days, and 0% reduction for the following days.
The charge applies to all levels of holiday accommodation such as hotels and villas, in addition to cruise ships.