IBIZA becomes the latest hotspot for Spanish holidaymakers to demand an end to ‘mass tourism’, with one protest group saying ‘we can’t take it anymore!’ after similar action in the Canary Islands

Residents of the Spanish party island of Ibiza are likely to be the last to join the growing anti-tourism protests across the country.

An action group called Prou ​​Eivissa (Enough Ibiza) is calling on residents to take to the streets on May 24 and protest against restrictions on tourism to the island.

This comes after similar protests were seen in other popular destinations such as Tenerife, where angry locals even went on hunger strike to express their anger.

In Menorca, graffiti has appeared on walls telling tourists to ‘go home’, while in Marbella last year even the tires of cars with British license plates were slashed.

A spokeswoman for Prou ​​Eivissa said the group was “not against British tourism in any way” but was fighting against the “type of tourism that was moving to our island”.

“We are in no way against British tourism, on the contrary,” said Xaquelina Ana Perry.

‘We welcome everyone who wants to enjoy our local culture, gastronomy, local traditions, beautiful beaches and covers.

‘We are only against the massification of the type of tourism that comes to our island. The island is saturated, mainly due to illegal rentals, and our 572 square kilometers cannot take anymore,” she added.

The Mediterranean island, together with its sister island Formentera in the south, attracts millions of tourists every year.

Although it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and despite officials working to promote the island as a family-friendly destination, it is best known for its nightlife and summer electronic dance music club scene.

As a result, it has often struggled with its image and developed a reputation for island-wide drug use and trafficking focused on party tourism.

In a statement, Prou ​​Eivissa said it advocated “a sustainable, balanced future for the well-being and growth of the local population, in harmony with a form of tourism that seeks to respect and enjoy the diversity of this beautiful island.” ‘

To achieve this, the activists are calling on Balearic Island officials to introduce a law restricting vehicle access, as well as a series of measures ensuring ‘the enforcement of the tourism moratorium, incentives for hoteliers to reduce capacity ‘. ..) protect residents and tackle illegal renting.’

“We consider it essential to achieve a balance between residents and tourists, and therefore we believe that the legitimate expression of the residents of Ibiza can guarantee a sustainable future for all,” the statement said.

‘We urge families, young people, adults or anyone who values ​​a respectful life and wants to be treated with respect to come and make their presence felt so that the authorities really feel the pressure that makes us say: Ibiza can not anymore!’

It remains to be seen whether officials on the island will take notice.

Given the large numbers of tourists, the Spanish island gets a significant part of its income from tourism and is therefore reluctant to take tough action against it.

A hunger strike launched in Tenerife last month was called off after 20 days late last month because officials showed “zero interest” in their plight, strikers said.

Four of the six activists who stopped eating announced their decision on April 30 in the square in the town of La Laguna, located in the north of the island.

One of the six, who were not officially named by the protest platform Canarias Se Agota to which they are affiliated, accused the regional government of the Canary Islands of paying them ‘zero interest’.

But after taking his turn, he told supporters at a public meeting, visibly emaciated after his 20-day strike: ‘We are amazed at the social reaction and that is the best thing we can take away from this. I have a lot of hope for the future.’

Canarias Se Agota said in a message after the action was stopped: “This is the society we want. One that organizes itself and fights courageously to defend our country.’

It added: ‘We will move forward with determination and steadfastness until we reach the Canary Islands we dream of.’

The hunger strike began on April 11 outside a church in one of La Laguna’s main squares. It was announced when it started as an indefinite strike.

As with Prou ​​Eivissa in Ibiza, activists and their supporters said they wanted regional governors to adopt a more sustainable tourism model to combat problems such as pollution, traffic congestion and a lack of affordable housing.

They also demanded the paralysis of two tourism projects, including the construction of a five-star hotel on one of Tenerife’s last unspoilt beaches.

Victor Martin, a spokesman for Canarias Se Agota, which translates into English as “Canary Islands on the Brink,” said before it began: “The hunger strike is indefinite and will continue until the two macro projects we are fighting are forever have been stopped and the regional agreement agrees in writing to start talking to us about a tourism moratorium.

“A tragedy could happen and someone could die if the government doesn’t listen.”

Just over a week after it started, on April 20, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the Canary Islands to protest the problems caused by mass tourism and demand that their politicians take action.

The demonstrators made their voices heard under the slogan: ‘Canarias Tiene un limite’, which translates into English as ‘The Canary Islands have a limit.’

Last week the same words appeared painted in white on the asphalt of one of the access roads to Mount Teide in Tenerife.

Another message painted on the road read: ‘Moratoria turistica’ – ‘Tourism moratorium’ in English.’

Tenerife, a popular island with British tourists, has been at the forefront of protests linked to the type of mass tourism it attracts.

Just before that, a leading politician from Tenerife urged British and Irish tourists looking for cheap all-inclusive sun holidays to go elsewhere for their holiday.

Carlos Tarife, deputy mayor of the island capital Santa Cruz, said holidaymakers interested in staying in their hotels with their mandatory wristbands on should instead book places like the Dominican Republic.

Early last month, graffiti in English was left on walls and benches in and around Palm Mar in the south of Tenerife, reading, among other things, “My misery, your paradise” and “The average salary in the Canary Islands is 1,200 euros.”

In an apparently British response, a response was left in English on a wall next to the message ‘Tourists go home’: ‘F**k off, we’ll pay your wages.’

Canarias Se Agota has always insisted it has nothing to do with the graffiti that has appeared in parts of Tenerife in recent weeks – and has accused regional politicians of blaming them for tourism phobia as part of a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign.

Mallorca-based hotel chef Joan Pla recently warned that protests against mass tourism in the Canary Islands could be repeated in the Balearic Islands.

He claimed that the number of houses built for local residents and instead bought by foreigners as holiday properties was a problem.

And he complained that islands like Mallorca, where he is based, were experiencing the influx of too many people at certain times of the year.