Overview

• Thousands turned out in Palma last weekend, with police estimating 8,000 participants and organizers claiming up to 30,000 demonstrators.
• Activists boarded a sightseeing bus and unfurled a “Stoppt die Touristifizierung” banner to dramatize their grievances.
• Around one-third of housing purchases on Mallorca are by wealthy foreign buyers converting homes into holiday rentals, driving rent costs beyond local incomes.
• Demonstrators blame the conservative Balearic government for legalizing rural constructions and liberalizing land markets, which they say fuel speculation and ecological harm.
• Tourism accounts for roughly 40% of Mallorca’s GDP and provides 80% of peak-season jobs, with arrivals topping 13.5 million in 2024 and forecast to set new records in 2025.