Mallorca Residents Demand A Return To Tradition

Alcudia’s stunning 7-kilometre beach and ancient Roman ruins, make it a must-visit blend of beach relaxation and history, but is tourism destroying its traditional essence?

On August 18, over 60 individuals from the Movement Alcudienc gathered in Alcudia’s Placa de la Constitucio to voice their concerns about the increasing privatisation of public spaces in the town, according to a report in Majorca Daily Bulletin.

Members of the movement highlighted the diminishing free space available for the town’s residents, pointing to the surge in shops and eateries catering primarily to tourists.

A Town’s Transformation

The group expressed their unease about the significant changes Alcudia has experienced over time. They lamented, ‘Alcudia is disappearing as a stable nucleus of coexistence and is becoming a showcase at the service of tourists.’

The activists also raised issues about the vanishing of traditional shops, the privatisation of public spaces, the proliferation of inland hotels, the increase in tourist rentals, beach overcrowding, resource consumption, environmental degradation, and infrastructure overload.

As a result of this tourism-centric model, they argued, the town is rapidly losing its unique identity, and the local inhabitants are being pushed out. Furthermore, they highlighted the challenges in accessing housing due to soaring rental prices and the dominance of an unstable service sector.

Government’s Response Questioned

The Moviment Alcudienc criticised recent policies, stating that despite claims of addressing these issues, the authorities have merely introduced minor reforms. They cited examples such as the law on circularity in the tourism sector, the moratorium on tourist places, and the law on waste.

The group urged the local council and opposition parties to implement more decisive measures. They suggested opposing the removal of the moratorium on tourist places, regulating the number of tables that cafes can set up on their terraces, and allocating public spaces and buildings for residents to promote their active participation in the town’s public life.