IRISH jetsetters have been slapped with a major warning amid a “do not come” plea.
Protest groups in a popular Spanish hotspot have banded together to object to the amount of visitors.
Tourists have been urged to stay away[/caption]
Millions of visitors take to the spot every year[/caption]
The spot in question is Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain.
It’s long been a favourite spot for holidaygoers as it’s not far from Ireland and tickets can be found on the cheap.
But locals have come together to write a letter directly addressed to would be tourists, urging them not to come.
The letter says that those who call the stunning island home would like to see a massive reduction in the amount of visitors.
It notes that 18.4 million people visited the Balearic islands in 2024 alone, which represents a five per cent increase from the year before.
The letter also blames “the greed and avarice of hoteliers, politicians, real estate investors” for Majorca being “squeezed to unsuspected limits”.
And it argues that the Spanish government are “denying the reality” and continue to promote tourism.
Instead, the letter argues, they should be “taking measures to reverse this tragedy”.
The letter reads: “There is no need to list the problems that we residents suffer from, they are well known: environmental and ecosystem deterioration, infrastructure issues, overwhelmed public services, transportation problems, loss of quality of life, gentrification, disproportionate increases in the cost of living, and a total lack of access to housing for the local population.
“Mallorca is not the paradise they are selling you. The local population is angry, and we are no longer hospitable because the land we love is being destroyed, and many residents are having to emigrate.
“Their only goal is to increase the number of visitors and generate more money for a minority, on an island that is already completely oversaturated.”
But the letter has drawn furious reactions from visitors and would be tourists.
Naysayers in the comments section of a social media post argued that tourism props up the island’s economy.
The letter was posted on X, formerly Twitter, and quickly drew the ire of many.
One furious user said: “Absolutely disgusting. Tourism gives money to 1000s of people on the islands so they can live!
“I don’t understand how everyday tourists stop them from living a normal life.
“They are targeting the wrong people. I never see people working in hospitality going against these groups.”
Another blasted: “Let the locals survive without tourism. They will starve within months.”
A third person said: “We as tourists have to pay a substantial amount of our hard earned money to come to Mallorca, are these protesters willing to pay me the same to stay away as they no longer need or want us, they’ve obviously made a fortune out of tourism previously to no longer need it to sustain their comfy lifestyles.
“Careful of what you wish for, the majority of islanders are employed through tourism in some form, that’s an awful lot of unemployed to support.”
Locals wrote an open letter[/caption]
