Tourist hot spot faces housing revolt as locals demand cuts to vacation lodging

One of Spain's most popular vacation islands is facing calls for a limit on tourist accommodations to curb crowding.

Jordi Mora, president of Pimem, a federation representing small and medium-sized businesses in Mallorca, said the island needs to take stronger steps to control tourism, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.

"We need to curb tourism, which includes reducing the total number of tourist beds," Mora told the outlet.

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Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands, received some 13.5 million visitors in 2025, a significant number for an island measuring roughly 1,400 square miles, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Mora's proposal would include reducing the number of accommodations available in registered vacation rentals and taking stronger action against illegal rentals, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported. Fox News Digital reached out to Pimem for comment.

Mora said some smaller hotel operators would support reducing accommodations if the changes were made through agreements and incentives.

"If this is approached through consensus and incentives, it is possible to move toward a more sustainable model," Mora said.

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A travel expert previously discussed the issues faced by the Balearic Island with Fox News Digital.

"Once a place goes viral, it can get flooded with visitors really quickly. It’s great that people want to explore new places, but those places aren’t always set up to handle that kind of attention," travel expert Jordi Lippe-McGraw said. 

"That’s when you start to see overcrowding, higher costs for locals and more pressure on the area overall."

Mallorca has also been exploring a shift toward attracting fewer visitors who spend more money.

Pedro Homar, managing director of Palma's tourism board, said Mallorca would prefer to attract wealthy American tourists, Fox News Digital reported.

"Tourism is our way of life," Homar told The Wall Street Journal. "The change of model is quality over quantity. We need to have fewer tourists who spend more."

American tourists in Spain spent about $410 per day this past July, compared with $240 for German visitors and $260 for British travelers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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Mora also said the island does not need more tourists to grow its economy.

"We must increase value and ensure that this growth benefits society as a whole," he told the Majorca Daily Bulletin.

The clash with residents is especially noticeable in Mallorca, where thousands took to the streets in June 2025 to protest the growth of tourism on the island, Fox News Digital reported at the time.

Demonstrators marched with signs saying, "One more tourist, one less resident."

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Mallorca's large visitor numbers have also brought other tourism concerns into focus.

Viral videos over the summer appeared to show pickpockets targeting tourists near Palma, including older visitors near popular attractions, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Travel expert Angel Castellanos told Fox News Digital at the time that crowded tourist areas can create opportunities for thieves, particularly when visitors are distracted or unfamiliar with their surroundings.

"The takeaway isn't to avoid these places," Castellanos said. "It's to travel smarter."

Andrea Margolis of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.