Anti-tourism protests in Spain have taken a blow – as plans to keep out foreigners are rejected. Protesters against mass tourism in Majorca have been dealt a crushing blow as an initiative aimed at restricting the sale of homes to foreigners is rejected in parliament.
A plan to restrict the sale of homes to foreigners in Majorca has been rejected as the luxury property market was blamed for the ongoing housing crisis. The absolute majority of the centre right opposition Partido Popular in the Senate has prevented an initiative by left wing coalition party Sumar to implement European and state regulations.
Sumar’s Balearic senator, Juanjo Ferrer, had presented this initiative in the Upper House to facilitate access in stressed areas such as the Balearics. He argued one of the main problems was luxury homes and the foreign purchase and sale of these houses.
READ MORE Met Office speaks out over UK being hit by ‘notable’ snow next week
“The problem we have in the Balearics is the lack of housing for 120,000, 150,000, 200,000 or 300,000 euros. That is the housing problem in the Balearics and do not deceive people with your radical left-wing measures,” said PP senator for the Balearics, María Salom.
The PP has made use of its absolute majority to advance its rejection of this motion – a non-legislative initiative -, so it will not go ahead. It comes after hspitality workers in Tenerife said they are being forced to live in tents as the island’s tourism boom has pushed up property prices, making them unaffordable for many locals.
Low-paid service workers who are vital to the tourism industry are being squeezed out of the market because of the boom in holiday rentals. In April, 57,000 people took part in protests in cities across the Canary Islands against tourism and its distortion of local economies, particularly sky high property prices in the region.
This post was originally published on here
