Tourist of 30 years slams Majorca for being 'too expensive' and 'non-tourist friendly'

As the summer tourist season approaches, protest groups across Spain, including those in Majorca, are preparing for another round of demonstrations against the country's overtourism problem. However, a British tourist, who has been visiting the Balearic Island of Majorca at least twice a year for the last 30 years, has written a damming letter criticising the state of tourism on the island.

In a letter sent to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, Edward Fox said that he has noticed a "drastic increase in not only hotel/apartment accommodation prices but also the increase in food, drink , restaurant prices which is not reflected in the global inflation increases," in the last five of six years of him visiting. He also described the tourist tax - up to approximately €4 per person per night, with the proposal of an additional 10% tax - as "incredible" and "unaffordable for most British tourists coming to Mallorca". Mr Fox accused the Balearic government and local population of being "anti tourist" and wanting to control the numbers of tourists visiting.

“So go ahead Mallorca, bite the hand that has [come] to this island, put so much money into your tourism, infrastructure, government, hoteliers pockets [...] for the best part of 40 years," Mr Fox wrote.

"Us tourists Do Bite Back, and me personally and many hundreds of thousands of tourists have bitten back. As a seasoned traveller to Mallorca it is getting far too expensive and non-tourist friendly and every thing is so not worth visiting or holidaying in this island until your Balearic Government and the people of Mallorca realise this.”

The Brit added that Majorca "is not affordable now for most Brits" and is losing out to South East Asian countries including Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, where, he argued, accomodation is " much cheaper by as much at 60-70% per night".

According to the local news outlet, around fifty residents in Soller, near the west coast of Majorca, recently staged a flash protest in the square against overcrowding. T-shirts reading "Miris on miris, tot són guiris" ("Wherever you look, they’re all gringos"), along with an image of a typical tourist, were displayed on a clothing line in the town.

Some foreigners are said to have confronted residents and even called them "racist" for referring to tourists as "guiris". The word "guriri" strictly speaking applies to English-speaking foreigners, like "gringo", but has also come to be applied to northern European tourists, even all foreigners.

The campaign was publicised and sent to the media. In a statement, the residents said that "we want to raise awareness of the problems that affect us on a daily basis, with a touch of provocation: we don’t want to have to leave Soller to be able to live with dignity".

They claim that "it is not a phobia of visitors, but a matter of survival. Mass tourism is driving us out of our homes. It makes it difficult for us to access housing, displaces us from public spaces, overwhelms basic services and transforms everyday life beyond recognition".