Protest group complain about ‘foreigners’ and ‘overcrowding’ on island favoured by British holidaymakers
Fake signs warning of jellyfish and cliff falls have been put up by locals on the island of Mallorca to deter unwanted tourists.
Other bogus signs “tell holidaymakers bays are closed to the public or that it takes two hours and 53 minutes to walk to a beach which is actually 100 yards away”, reported The Sun.
- SEE MORE Amsterdam ‘stay away’ campaign: do Brits abroad deserve a bad rap?
- SEE MORE The tourist tidal wave that’s flattening Europe’s cities
The signs, the work of a local protest group called Caterva, have appeared across the island of Mallorca, with footnotes written in Catalan explaining: “Open beach. Not to jellyfish nor foreigners.”
One sign in Cala Murta claimed there is a risk of rock falls, but informed locals: “Come in. The danger is not of a landslide, it is of overcrowding.”
Caterva explained the protest on social media, saying: “These days we carried out a denunciation action against the #massificació tourist in the coves of #Manacor.
“With a bit of humour, we’ve put up a few posters that you can see in the photos. From Cala Morlanda to Cala Bota.”
Aquests dies hem dut a terme una acció de denúncia contra la #massificació turística a les cales de #Manacor. Amb una mica d’humor, hem penjat uns quants cartells que podeu veure a les fotos. Des de Cala Morlanda fins a Cala Bota pic.twitter.com/zy1abLDbwV
— Caterva (@Caterva_mnc) August 11, 2023
The move follows a summer in which British holidaymakers have provoked the ire of authorities and locals alike and been accused of loutish behaviour.
Ian Jennings, a British holidaymaker, told The Sun: “I love Mallorca and have gone most years. But if this is their attitude then, I’m sorry, but screw them.
“I don’t want to go anywhere I’m not wanted. I’ll be taking my cash elsewhere – and I suspect there will be millions more Brits like me. Let’s see what they moan about on their rude signs then.”
Each year “more than 2.3 million Britons head to Mallorca, accounting for more than a quarter of the total tourist traffic”, said The Times. The average Brit “spends £950 in the Balearic Islands during each stay”, the paper added.
