The number of British holidaymakers visiting Majorca dropped sharply in April, according to the latests travel data.
Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza face an exodus of British holidaymakers as UK tourists take action following anti-tourism protests. The number of British holidaymakers visiting Majorca dropped sharply in April, according to the latests travel data.
The Balearic Island is favourite with holidaying Brits, attracting over 2.3 million each year. A survey carried out by the National Statistics Institute shows an overall 13.5% increase in foreign tourism in April – up to 1,357,216.
All of the main markets registered an increase with the exception of two – Belgium and the UK. A recent Bank of Spain report said the country has a shortfall of 450,000 homes.
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In the tourist hotspots of the Canary Islands – which includes Lanzarote, Tenerife and Gran Canaria – and Balearic Islands, half the housing stock is tourist accommodations or are properties owned by non-residents, the report said.
The country has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing.
Homemade signs including one that read “Get Airbnb out of our neighbourhoods” at a recent march in Madrid point to the growing ire against short-term online rental platforms.
Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents.
In response to Spain’s recent order, listings website Airbnb has said that the platform connects property owners with renters, but that it does not have oversight obligations, even though it requires hosts to show that they are compliant with local laws.
And Spain has pushed against allowing low-cost airlines to charge passengers for hand baggage, too. Last year, it fined five budget airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet, a total of 179 million dollars for charging for hand luggage.
