Spain‘s anti-tourism campaign has backfired as Mallorca announces it will be giving free gifts to visitors.
The initative, part of an event dubbed ‘Smile at a Tourist Day’, will see shops across the island hand over gift bags to tourists who make purchases at their stores.
The campaign is being organised by Afedeco, a local retail group which is inviting any shopkeeper who wants to encourage business to take part.
The reusable bags, which are a bright green colour, will have emblazoned on them: ‘Tourist, go home happy. Be happier returning to Mallorca soon’.
Tourists will be given the bags on February 27 2026.
The promise comes just days after Mallorca’s beach businesses warned of a brutal summer season, with earnings plummeting as the backlash against mass tourism intensifies both in Spain and abroad.
According to the Association of Temporary Services Concessions and Operations in the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain of Mallorca (Adopuma), beach bars, parasol hire companies, and water activity operators have taken a hit of around 20 per cent in July compared to last summer, and things aren’t looking any better as August rolls on.
In a gloomy statement, the group blamed poor spring weather, spiralling costs, and falling demand for beach services.
The initative, part of an event dubbed ‘Smile at a Tourist Day’, will see shops across the island hand over gift bags to tourists
The initative, part of an event dubbed ‘Smile at a Tourist Day’, will see shops across the island hand over gift bags to tourists
Members of the public protesting at the Calo des Moro beach outside Santanyi, Majorca, Spain on June 16 2024
But they say that increasingly aggressive rhetoric from anti-tourism campaigners is pushing the island’s economy to the brink. Adopuma president Onofre Fornés said ‘irresponsible negative messages against tourism’ for the downturn.
Beach tourists, the bread and butter of Mallorca’s daytime economy, are no longer spending like they used to, he added.
He said: ‘Reduced income, higher operating costs and subdued demand for key services, such as sun loungers and deckchairs, have affected turnover, for example in areas such as Playa de Muro and Can Picafort.’
Many have been priced out of extras like parasols and cocktails after shelling out more than ever on flights and hotels.
According to the association, restaurants are underperforming, beach bar takings are down, and occupancy rates have stayed low even into early August.
Staff wages and the cost of goods have both gone up, chewing into profits and leaving many businesses worried about survival, the group warned.
Operators in resorts like Cala Millor say tourists are holding off on spending until the very last day of their holidays, a far cry from the more carefree attitude seen in pre-inflation years.
Germans in particular, one of Mallorca’s biggest markets, have become noticeably more cautious.
Adopuma is now urging the government to act fast, capping prices, stamping out anti-tourism sentiment, and ensuring that Mallorca remains affordable for the mid-budget visitors who keep the island ticking.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .