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Under the slogan “Change course: set limits on tourism,” the four Balearic islands are jointly working on a schedule of mobilizations and demands.

As a result of the public protests that have taken place in the archipelago, some coordination has been called for to deal with the multiple social, labour and ecological aspects of the all-consuming tourism expanding into every corner of these islands.

That was how the initiatives for the campaign “Via Menorca” came together and people filled the Mahon Plaza Biosphera on 8 June; the network of social movements in Ibiza and Formentera with other entities and collectives under the banner of “Let’s Change Course”; in Mallorca with the platform, “Less Tourism, More Life” under which umbrella a series of local assemblies and initiatives are being formed throughout the island.

Since the end of May we have been having meetings each week with
representatives of the different initiatives to coordinate demands, stories, official complaints and public protests within the framework of the interisland campaign under the slogan “Let’s change course: let’s put limits on tourism”.

The aim is to coordinate an intense period of public protests that will extend throughout the four islands to denounce the disastrous impacts of the current tourism and economic model present in all the islands. It is to demand necessary alternatives changing the course of our socio-economic model that will guarantee fundamental rights now in jeopardy. These are the right to a
home, social services, to health and education of the youth, to the
conservation and regeneration of natural resources, water, sea, beaches and the natural spaces that have become speculative assets.

It is necessary that the political class takes decisive measures to establish limits and regulations for this activity and that, at the same time, puts the benefits thus generated to the major social services.

Together we will work and articulate our demands to our governments for committing to another socioeconomic model, that deals with the current ecological and social crisis, with the drama of housing as the principal protagonist; to respect the characters and limits of our islands and allow us to travel together along paths going toward social and environmental justice, opting for common welfare and dignified living.

(Original article in Catalan published 21 June 2024).