On June 20, the Forum for Civil Society in Mallorca will hold its second conference, the focus for which will be housing. This will be five days after the demonstration in Palma calling for the right to a decent life and an end to touristification. And foreign media, including the BBC, will be paying attention to both events.
So far, 140 people have registered for the conference; it will have a maximum of 160 attendees. Among those expected to attend are the Balearics housing minister, José Luis Mateo, and Spain’s minister for housing, Isabel Rodríguez.
The Forum comprises groups critical of the tourism model but also others, such as an employers association (Pimem, small businesses). It has expressed its support for Sunday’s demonstration, which will be one of several held in various cities in Spain and in other countries. They will all have the same themes – the problems with accessing housing and overtourism.
Housing and tourism have become inextricably linked. If one looks for reasons why there are now the protests of a tourism nature, then housing holds the key. There were tourism protests in the past in Mallorca, e.g. one in September 2017, but there has never previously been such a sustained pattern of protest. Nor in the past was housing so prominent an issue.
The recent history in Mallorca, it might be recalled, started with the protest in Palma in May last year that was organised by the Banc de Temps collective in Sencelles. That was as much a protest demanding solutions to the housing crisis as it was to do with overtourism. The Canaries, San Sebastián, Granada, Ibiza; these are just some of the other places where the same issues apply
The media from various countries will be out in force. One broadcaster already present on the island is Norway’s TV2. Presenter Elin Sordahl says: “Mallorca has always been the dream in the south, with the sun and beaches. Norwegians love to come here, even though they’re embarrassed to admit they contribute to mass tourism. They’re trying to escape the harsh climate of the north for the sun of Mallorca. And the average salary in Norway is €70,000 compared to €23,000 in the Balearics.”
She notes there are Norwegian businesses with real-estate projects in Mallorca. One of these is Alzina Living, which has been at the centre of controversy because of its holiday rental properties in Palma’s Son Espanyolet area.