Last month, my mate James came back from Palma looking proper fed up. “I’m never going back there,” he said, shaking his head. It looks like he was blasted by locals with water pistols while he was looking to grab a coffee. Welcome to 2025, where Majorca has gone from rolling out the red carpet to rolling out the water guns.
I have been watching this mess unfold for months. The Majorca tourism decline isn’t some mystery; it’s happening right before our eyes, and honestly, it was bound to happen sooner or later.
When Paradise Turns Sour
Imagine being on holiday and being harassed by locals, screaming at you to go home, as they squirt you with water. That’s precisely what happened this summer to thousands of tourists. Some 5,000 protesters descended on Palma, each armed with a water gun, and chanted, “Everywhere you look, all you see are tourists,” which is in direct reference to mass tourism in the Balearic Islands.
My cousin Judy experienced this firsthand in June. She was staying near the cathedral when protesters surrounded her hotel. “They weren’t nasty about it,” she told me, “but blimey, the message was clear enough.”
The thing is, I can’t say I blame them. I’ve been to Majorca eight times since 2010. Each visit, the island felt more cramped, more expensive, and frankly, less welcoming. The locals looked increasingly knackered and annoyed.
The Numbers Game Gone Wrong
Here’s what Majorca’s tourism numbers are really showing. I spoke to some business owners, as I wanted to get this right and know what is happening. They told me they are experiencing huge declines in bookings. One hotel manager in Cala Millor said his July occupancy was off 30% from a year earlier.
The island’s been living off tourism for decades. It worked brilliantly until recently. Now they’ve got too much of a good thing, and it’s backfiring spectacularly.
Housing Crisis That’s Absolutely Bonkers
This is where I get properly wound up. The housing situation in Majorca has gone utterly bonkers. I have a British friend who’s lived there 15 years and is being priced out of her neighbourhood. Her rent has gone up £400 a month in two years.
Spanish workers earning local wages can’t compete with wealthy foreigners buying up properties for holiday homes. It’s not rocket science why locals are angry. When your barista can’t afford to live within an hour of where she works, something’s very wrong indeed.
The worst part? Property developers keep building more tourist accommodation whilst locals sleep in cars. I’ve seen it myself: people living in their vehicles because they can’t find anywhere affordable to rent.
My Take on What’s Really Happening
I’ve watched this story develop from the beginning, and here’s what I reckon: Majorca forgot that tourism is supposed to benefit everyone, not just property owners and hotel chains. The island became addicted to quick money from mass tourism.
The Majorca tourism decline started when locals reached the breaking point. You can only push people so far before they push back. Those water gun protests weren’t random, but they were the inevitable result of years of frustration.
The Tipping Point
The protests have been happening since May, but June was when things really kicked off. Around 300 people held banners saying “SOS” whilst occupying Calo des Moro beach to protect it from tourists. That’s not normal holiday behaviour, is it?
I remember reading about these protests and thinking, “This won’t end well for anyone.” Tourists don’t fancy being sprayed with water guns, and locals don’t want to become the villains in holiday photos.
Also read: Celtic Holiday Parks Administration: What Happened to Wales’ Popular Holiday Destination
Personal Experience Matters
Three weeks ago, I cancelled my own trip to Majorca. Not because of the protests, as I’m not easily put off, but because the whole atmosphere seemed so tense. Why spend my hard-earned cash somewhere I’m clearly not wanted?
That’s the real tragedy here. Majorca used to be brilliant for British families. Cheap flights, decent weather, friendly locals. Now it feels like walking into someone else’s argument.
The Bigger Picture
It’s not simply tourists versus locals. It’s a matter of sustainability, equality, and common sense. Majorca’s tourism industry grew too fast without thinking about the consequences. Now they’re paying the price.
Other islands are watching this closely. Nobody wants to end up like Majorca, which is successful on paper but falling apart in reality. The Canary Islands have already started implementing tourist limits, learning from Majorca’s mistakes.
Looking Forward
Will Majorca bounce back? Maybe, but only after massive changes. They need to cap visitor numbers, spend more on local housing, and recall that hospitality is not a one-way proposition.
And the most heartbreaking of all is that this was entirely preventable. Majorca could have managed its success better to keep tourists and locals alike satisfied. Instead, they went for short-term gains, not long-term sustainability.
Now they’re stuck with angry locals, declining visitor numbers, and a reputation for being unwelcoming. That’s quite some achievement for what used to be Europe’s favourite holiday destination.
The water guns might have stopped for now, but the damage is done. Majorca’s learned the hard way that you can have too much of a good thing.
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