Around 20,000 protesters took to the streets of Mallorca’s capital Palma in a major demonstration against mass tourism.

During Sunday’s demonstration, calls were made for changes to the tourism model, which protesters say is damaging the Spanish island in the Mediterranean.

Under the slogan “Let’s change course and set limits on tourism,” the protesters formed a sea of ​​brightly colored flags and banners as they marched through the city’s most visited streets. The demonstration was the latest in a wave of protests against mass tourism in Spain.

“Your luxury, our misery,” read one sign. Another said: “This is not tourism phobia, these are numbers: 1,232,014 inhabitants, 18 million tourists.”

The protests were organised by some 80 organisations and social groups who want an end to excessive tourism in the Balearic Islands. The three main islands of the Balearic Islands are Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza.

They say the current tourism model has pushed public services to the limit, damaged natural resources and made it increasingly difficult for local people to access housing.

According to organizers, 50,000 people attended the protest; police estimate the number of participants at 20,000.

Last year, a record 17.8 million people visited the Balearic Islands, both from mainland Spain and abroad. This year, the number of visitors is expected to be even higher.

In late May, mass protests took place on the archipelago’s three largest islands, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets to demand measures to curb overtourism, under the motto: “Our islands are not for sale”.

“From a practical point of view, it is a legitimate economic activity. But as an economic activity, it should ultimately be regulated in the same way as hotels,” said architect and urban planner Jose Maria Ezquiaga, who told public broadcaster TVE that he believes tourist rental apartments should require the approval of local residents’ associations.

“It should be the local property owners who set the rules of the game and decide whether certain formats are acceptable or not,” he said.

Manuel de la Calle, a tourism and business expert, said introducing a tourist tax could be part of the solution.

“It is one of the possible solutions that can be put into action. It will not reduce the flow of tourists, but it will generate resources that can be used for tourism management or other ways to help the local population,” he told TVE.