Spain’s move to turn away British ‘budget’ tourists in search of ‘upscale’ holidaymakers is causing misery for residents of Mallorca and Ibiza, who are now forced to live in vans because they can no longer afford the sky-high rents.
Locals in the Balearic Islands said they were wondering how they would “survive” and afford to rent or buy property amid rising prices caused by a shift to luxury tourists who can afford more expensive properties.
“People are now looking at how they can survive,” Rona Pineda (32), who shares a two-bedroom apartment with a couple in Mallorca, told Bloomberg. “If you have a normal salary, it is very difficult to find an apartment these days.”
The comments came after Mallorca’s tourism director Lucia Escribano said her industry bosses were “not interested in taking in budget tourists from the UK” – as the island tries to transform itself from a destination for cheap drinks and beach parties by the number of British tourists.
This shift from ‘cheap’ British tourists to ‘chic’ visitors from France, Italy and the Netherlands has seen rental costs and house prices ‘soar’.
Spain’s move to turn away ‘budget’ British tourists in search of ‘fancy’ holidaymakers is causing misery for locals in Mallorca and Ibiza, who are now forced to live in vans as they can no longer afford skyrocketing rents not. Pictured: Tourists sunbathe on Magaluf beach in Calvia, Balearic island of Mallorca, 2021 (file photo)
Therefore, the situation for some residents of Mallorca and Ibiza is so desperate that they are forced to live in mobile homes because they cannot afford apartments or houses.
“More and more people are switching to mobile homes,” says Matias Vidal, managing director of Mallorcan real estate agency Inmovisa. “It’s still a minority, but an increasing trend that we didn’t see a few years ago.”
Vidal, who has been selling property in Mallorca for decades, adds: “Foreigners tend to have more money on hand and aren’t as keen on bargain hunting, so prices skyrocket.”
According to Bloomberg, 36 percent of properties sold in Mallorca and neighboring islands in the fourth quarter of 2022 were bought by people outside Spain, citing market figures.
The recovery in external demand has pushed property prices in the Balearic Islands to the highest of any Spanish region, including the capital Madrid.
In Madrid, however, workers are paid about 30 percent better than residents of the island.
The neighboring islands of Mallorca and Ibiza are also trying to change their image as party destinations. Ten five-star hotels have been added to Mallorca since 2018. Ibiza has doubled its own number of luxury resorts since 2016.
However, this means that the number of workers living and working on the island, who also require housing, has increased on the islands. To improve service quality, restaurants and bars need to hire more staff to keep up.
This drives the demand for housing further and makes it even more difficult for the local population.
As Spanish industry leaders seek other sources of tourism, European destinations are lining up to bring in a few extra British pounds.
Earlier this month, tourism chiefs in Lanzarote – one of Spain’s Canary Islands and one of Britain’s most popular holiday destinations – announced they were fed up with British tourists and were working together to welcome more visitors from France, Italy and the Netherlands instead.
Elsewhere, ‘difficult’ British tourists have been warned in a new ‘deterrent’ campaign aimed at the tourism sector to ‘avoid’ Amsterdam if they only go there for ‘drugs and alcohol’.
Sofyan Mbarki, deputy mayor of Amsterdam, defended the new message and said: “The purpose of the deterrence campaign is to keep unwanted visitors away. If we love the city, we must act now.”
Fortunately, the value of British tourists is clearly not lost on other European countries, whose industry leaders welcome visitors from across the Channel.
Mallorca’s tourism director Lucia Escribano said her industry bosses are not interested in budget-conscious tourists from Britain – as the island tries to transform itself from a destination for cheap drinks and beach parties by limiting the number of British visitors to the border. Pictured: Tourists are seen on El Arenal beach on the island of Mallorca in 2018 (File photo)
France’s National Agency for Tourism Development said in a recent statement that the British market “is always a priority and we must work tirelessly to revive the flow of tourists to France”.
Portugal has decided to scrap EU laws preventing British visitors from using e-passports as a result of Brexit in a bid to reduce airport waiting times and make arrivals easier for British holidaymakers.
Other European travel hotspots are also looking forward to the Brits.
Speaking at the World Travel Market 2022 Expo in November, Greece’s Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said more than 3 million British travelers had been there this year and said the country was keen to attract more tourists.
Turkey’s tourism chiefs have also been open about their desire to encourage inbound Britons – after a record number of visitors from Britain in 2022.
Some in Spain are also worried about the potential loss of British tourism due to a “tourist tax” coming into force later this year.
Mesa de Turismo, a non-profit organization representing Spain’s tourism industry, says it could spell big trouble for the country if the EU picks up the charges and forces non-EU visitors to pay seven euros.
The set, called the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), will apply to travelers visiting the Schengen area from November.
Mesa de Turismo described the tax as a “threat” and said it risked undermining Spain’s tourism sector.
The ETIAS applies to visitors from 63 countries – including the UK – outside the European Union. It was first confirmed by the EU in August 2021.
Spanish tourism leaders warned last week that they could lose millions of British holidaymakers if the European Union introduces a new tourist tax later this year
The system is similar to the United States’ Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which allows citizens of 40 countries to stay visa-free for 90 days.
Like the US system, the ETIAS allows people visa-free entry for up to 90 days, during which visitors are not allowed to work or study but can “engage in business and tourism activities,” according to the Schengen Visa Info website .
The EU version is valid for up to three years and applies to multiple entries. Those under 18 and over 70 are exempt from the fee.
The website states that visitors can “enter the Schengen member states as many times as you like, as long as your ETIAS is valid and you have not stayed for more than 90 days in any 180-day period”.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
