British tourists making travel plans to visit Majorca in 2025 have been reportedly told to “reconsider” their decision. The popular Spanish destination has been named in Fodor’s “Fifteen destinations to reconsider in 2025” list, and it’s a no surprise.
Majorca is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, attracting millions of visitors annually, especially from Germany, the UK, and other parts of Europe.
Tourism is a major economic driver, providing jobs and revenue, but it has also led to challenges such as overcrowding, environmental degradation, rising living costs, and cultural commodification.
For many months, locals in Majorca have expressed frustration over crowded streets, beaches, and public spaces.
The island’s infrastructure struggles to cope with the influx of millions of tourists, especially during the summer months.
While talking about the island, Fodor states: “it’s been a record-breaking year for international travel to Europe . According to the European Travel Commission, the number of visitors in the first quarter of 2024 alone was 7.2 percent higher than before the pandemic.
“This influx isn’t just clogging neighborhoods with excessive foot traffic, it’s altering the very fabric of society: raising the cost of living, straining infrastructure and natural resources, and homogenizing the culture of Europe’s most popular places.
“Faced with what now feels like an existential threat, locals are turning their ire towards the tourist crowds.This summer, tensions boiled over as protests erupted across the continent.
“In Spain, Barcelona locals sprayed unsuspecting visitors with water pistols while tens of thousands gathered on beaches in Majorca and the Canary Islands holding signs that read: ‘Your luxury, our misery,’ and ‘The Canaries have a limit.’ In Venice, crowds gathered at the Piazzale Roma to protest the futility (as they see it) of a new day-trippers entry fee.”
Anti-tourism graffiti, such as “Tourists go home,” has appeared in popular areas of the island. Protesters have called for stricter regulations on vacation rentals and caps on the number of visitors.
Demands include a shift toward sustainable and quality tourism rather than quantity-focused tourism.
Fodor’s other destinations of concern are Bali, Indonesia, Koh Samui, Thailand, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy, British Virgin Islands, Kerala, India, Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan, Oaxaca, Mexico, Scotland North Coast 500 and Mount Everest .
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