Majorca is planning to slash UK tourism by a whopping “40 per cent.”
The Spanish island’s opposition party, Més per Mallorca, has put forward a motion to the Balearic Parliament proposing a 40 per cent cut in tourist accommodation and an annual cap on visitor numbers. The party also wants to stop promoting tourism at international fairs, ban private jets, halt airport expansions, and reduce the number of flights and cruises.
Lluís Apesteguia, the coordinator and spokesperson for Més per Mallorca, said: “The containment measures announced by President Prohens are insufficient given the current situation.”
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He emphasised the need for policies of tourism degrowth and economic diversification to counteract the effects of mass tourism. However, one local resident hit back, saying: “First, Airbnbs, or “Short Term Rentals” (STR) have been capped in the Balearics since 2018. It’s not possible to get a licence anymore. Second, a couple of examples of cities who have banned them; Barcelona and New York City. So far, no evidence it’s had any impact on housing or rent prices. But it did remove income from some that were dependent on it, and for others, forced them to do it illegally”.
“What utter nonsense. Compulsory closure of some hotels? Mallorca to withdraw from all tourism marketing activities? It’s not tourists that kill a city. It’s the Government opposition party! ” one person raged.
Another chimed in: “With better restrictions on building bloody great houses which are often only used a few months a year, in the middle of good farm land.
“Totally agree, start by knocking Morgan Welshman’s houses down as they fit the description you gave perfectly!, reports Birmingham Live.
A third person suggested: “How about Lluís Apesteguia saying thank you to the tourists that provided €2.8 billion in solidarity loans during covid, when the Socialists went crying to the EU for funds due to lack of tourism This is money that has not been paid back yet, that has come out of the pockets of every taxpayer in the EU, the very tourists he claims to hate.
“I suggest he comes up with an idea to repay the money first. Very long arms, very short memories.”
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