Spain hols warning after anti-tourism protest at Palma airport to spark travel chaos as locals warn of ‘intense summer’
THE anti-tourism protests might spark a travel mayhem in Majorca as locals are threatening to collapse the island’s busy airport.
Activists warned of an “intense summer” as they schemed to block the international airport in Palma.
The radical tactic was proposed yesterday at a “citizen’s assembly”, held in the town of Sineu.
The ploy involves causing traffic gridlock and massing cars outside of one of the busiest airports in Europe during the peak summer months.
More than 300 people applauded the idea at the brain-storming session, organised by Association Menys Turisme, Mes Vida – translated as “Less Tourism, More Life”.
Although the proposed demo hasn’t been set in stone yet, the activists discussed legal repercussions they might face if they were to go ahead.
The campaigners showed they were serious about the airport protests as they suggested setting up a fund to pay potential fines levied by the authorities.
The activists also put forward a plan to flock to the island hotels in a bid to disrupt holidaymakers and make their demands heard.
Locals have long been fuming about the avalanche of vacationers each year and the effect it has on their lives.
The meeting, held at Sineu Secondary School, was jam-packed as over 30 people were forced to watch from the entrance doors after they couldn’t fit into the assembly hall.
The mass demos will be finalised over the next few weeks while organisers register more proposals in the coming days.
A separate protest raging against “tourist overcrowding” will sweep the streets of Palma next Saturday.
Anti-tourist graffiti has recently been popping up across the island, saying “Tourists Go Home”.
The latest tourist-phobic writing was scrawled in English over a wall in a Majorcan neighbourhood which saw an influx of foreign buyers.
An organisation called Banc del Temps will march with residents under the slogan “Mallorca no se vende” – Spanish for “Majorca is not up for sale.”
Furious Ibiza locals have echoed similar complaints as they prepare to take to the streets to protest against Brit revellers.
Fines under the new laws
AUTHORITIES in Majorca are cracking down on tourists by imposing fresh bans on drinking on the streets and graffiti vandalism.
Any tourist breaching the new rules could be slapped with a fine of £1,300.
The penalty can be increased up to £2,600, in case the grounds of the offence are more serious.
Fines for graffiti, vandalism and loud slogans have also been increased to £2,600.
If minors are found to commit graffiti vandalism, their parents will be held responsible – and will be forced to pay the fine amount.
Flooding the streets with banners, posters and advertising brochures is now prohibited,
Destroying listed buildings, monuments, and other important public areas would be considered a serious offence – and could attract fines up to £2,600.
An activist group by the name of Prou Eivissa (Enough Ibiza) is calling on locals to make a stand on May 24 and campaign for further restrictions on tourists visiting the island.
The demonstration is expected to mirror the Tenerife protests last month which saw tens of thousands of marchers attend.
On April 20, huge fury-filled protests were staged across the Canary Islands in a bid to crackdown on cheap tourism and particularly boozy Brits.
Residents said they are “fed up” with “low quality” Brits who only come for the cheap beer, burgers and sunbathing.
Recently, locals have slammed near-naked tourists strolling around Majorca and asked for them to be arrested.
One footage shows a group of five women brazenly walking along the promenade wearing only their bikinis.
In another clip, a tourist wearing almost nothing swaggered down a busy high street in the island.
Locals were left fuming after the holidaymaker was seen walking down a busy high street sporting just a pair of green speedos and trainers.
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
A WAVE of anti-tourist measures are being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday hotspots.
Overcrowding has become the main problem in many sunny destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.
Officials have attempted to reduce the impact of holidaymakers by implementing additional taxes on tourists, or banning new hotels.
Earlier this year Venice became the first city in the world to charge an entry fee for holidaymakers after it started charging day-trippers €5 (£4.30) if visiting the historical Italian centre.
It was followed by an area in Barcelona which resorted to removing a well-used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.
Meanwhile, San Sebastián in the north of Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided visits to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, nuisance and overcrowding.
The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.
The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalucia.
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am could cost a whopping £1,000.
The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charge tourists a daily tax.
Greece has already enforced a tourist tax during the high season (from March to October) with visitors expected to pay from €1 (£0.86) to €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the booked accommodation.
Officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to introduce a fee for travellers to remind people to be courteous during their trips.