Josie Sharp
FED-UP locals in the Balearic Islands are packing their bags as mass tourism sends housing costs soaring and quality of life plummeting.
A bombshell report by the Mutua Propietarios Group found just 29% of residents would stay if they had the chance to move elsewhere in Spain.
With towns overrun and rents sky-high, nearly six in ten want out – most eyeing Andalucia, followed by the Basque Country and Navarra.
Even worse, only 3% of Spaniards see the Balearics as a desirable place to live, showing the stark divide between the islands’ postcard image and the harsh reality for locals.
Protests have rocked hotspots like Mallorca, where angry residents say overtourism has turned thriving resorts into “ghost towns.” Many complain they can no longer afford to live where they were born, forced out by Airbnbs and luxury developments.
Tourism is set to rake in €260.5bn this summer – a whopping 16% of Spain’s GDP – but locals say the cost is too high.
READ MORE:
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- Latest protest about high property prices caused by mass tourism in Alicante
Pedro Oliver, head of the College of Tour Guides, warned that anti-tourism anger is hitting hard: “British visitors don’t feel welcome – sales are down 20%.”
With little relief in sight, more and more locals are waving goodbye to their island homes – victims of paradise lost.
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