Joe Duggan (Reporter)
AN anti-tourism protest group has vowed to ramp up its campaign against Mallorca holidaymakers.
Arran Paisos Catalanes wants to see hotels, business centres and leisure parks taken over to ‘ease the consequences the population is experiencing’.
The Cataln far-left youth group, which last month targeted a Palma restaurant popular with tourists, also called for taxes to be hiked for businesses associated with tourism.
An Arran spokesperson said the group wants to see the ‘expropriating of main tourist companies and assets, such as various marinas, hotels like the Vela, Starwood in Barcelona, shopping centres or theme parks such as Port Aventura, thus bringing economic benefits to the entire population’.
Arran protestors recently released smoke flares in a Palma restaurant, unveiling anti-tourist banners and showering diners with confetti.
Confetti is not bio-degradable. The chief income of Mallorca is though.
These guys have a point, even though the proposed measures are not very realistic, to say the least. More worrying are the comments in the national press of prime minister Rajoy. He basically tells all Spaniards just “to swallow it”. Without at least one hint to tourists to behave. Or mentioning the surely huge task of police forces to try and keep everything as pleasant as possible for all. (!!!) A prime minister should work for the good of all, not just for his own party agenda. If he wanted that, he should have stayed in parliament, not desire to be prime minister.
Having said that, what is lacking too is some suggestion of improvement. If Spain is weak in some points, it surely is marketing. And service mentality. The latter with huble apologies to those who do understand that and whose patientience is maxed out every day in the blazing heat.
For tourism, Spain is a top-3 market leader for decades. It should be able by now to innovate the market, one would think. Many tourists are annoyed by certain tourists as well! Don’t forget, we live here all year round. When you just have a week of holidays, and some ruin just one day of your well deserved break in the sun…
We are seeing a record breaking year for tourism. A very good moment to try and innovate. The prime minster went to university. He should know the word. And be capable to reach out to people with good plans. I do no see him going into the histry books as the great innovator of the tourism industry, be he could still give it a try?
The members of this group are spoiled rich brats. Instead of attacking innocent old people they should be actually brave and throw confetti at the real estate agents, banks, and UK tourist agencies. Or their AirBnB neighbors! Where are these guys at 4am on Saturday night? Doing the same things their tourist peers are. Big difference between trying to fix inequality and being a wealthy bully