Thanks to it’s picturesque scenery and vast collection of beautiful clubs and hotels, Ibiza has emerged as a major tourist destinations for millions of people every year. While the region’s economy is 80% driven by the tourist market, thousands of locals recently protested the effects it is having on the inhabitants.
As an island, space on Ibiza is naturally limited and the increased tourism and focus on housing visitors has caused issues for the locals who live in and serve the community. On May 24th, approximately 1,000 people took to the streets, marching past popular tourist destinations such as the White Isle and other prominent locations demanded decreased capacities and better use of resources such as water for inhabitants. The movement, known as Prou Eivissa (Enough Ibiza), was further defined by spokesperson Rafael Giménez who said, “We want a limit on new tourist places and a ban on more illegal flats. With less flats around on the market, it pushes up the price.”
The issue of housing is growing increasingly worrisome as many of the workers who are needed to operate the bars, clubs, and hotels are finding housing harder to come by and more expensive. A recent study has revealed that more and more individuals are now living out of their cars or caravans due to the scarcity and pricing. One teacher revealed that she flies from Mallorca to Ibiza 40 times a month because she can not afford to live in the area.
Other Spanish regions such as Palma and the Canary Islands are seeing similar requests from their citizens as over-tourism is having a negative impact on the local inhabitants. While millions of dollars are flowing into the regions, they seem to be pushing citizens to the brink of poverty as wealthy investors and vacation-minded individuals continue to build up and price out others from the housing market.
