Government ministers in a pretty European island nation have expressed their warm feelings towards their British visitors, saying they “take pride” in their country’s popularity with UK tourists.
Buried in the heart of the Mediterranean, the Balearic Islands’ Tourism Minister highlighted his country’s gratitude as he unveiled a new tourism strategy for the sunny islands.
Jaume Bauza Mayol, who has been in charge of the department since October of last year, said last November: “This season, British tourists have comprised almost 21 per cent of our visitors, and we take immense pride in that.”
Between January and September 2023, the Balearic Islands saw more than three million UK visitors arrive on its shores, equating to nearly five percent of the UK population.
The Islands, which include favourite destinations like Majorca and Ibiza, are beloved amongst Brits for their crystal-clear seas and Mediterranean sun – so it’s nice to see that the feeling is mutual.
The same, however, cannot be said of their Spanish neighbours.
Despite Spain being the top getaway destination for Brits, with more than 20 per cent of holidaymakers heading there each year, anti-tourist sentiment runs deep on the mainland.
Just a few months ago, British visitors in the Southern Spanish city of Marbella were targeted by hostile vandals. In a shocking slew of attacks, the anti-tourism campaign targeted British cars – identified by the number plates – with graffiti and tyre-slashings.
Shockingly, when victims complained, they were met with anti-British insults from Marbella locals. In response to one Brit’s online post about their vandalised car, a Spaniard wrote: “Why would we want English people in Marbella?”
“We want them to go back to their country,” they continued.
Another disenchanted resident, in response to the same post, claimed British tourists were “the most annoying humans in the world.”
However, the Balearic Islands have admittedly experienced bouts of anti-tourism activism in recent times.
In August 2023, anti-capitalist activists Caterva deployed a raft of fake warning signs across beaches in Mallorca in the hopes of driving tourists away.
Written in English, the signs warn of “falling rocks” and “dangerous jellyfish”, whilst some attempt to mislead tourists into believing beaches are closed.
Below the English lines, Catalan text informs locals of the signs’ real intents and say: “the problem isn’t a rockfall, it’s mass tourism” or “the beach is open, except for foreigners and jellyfish.”
