Is tourism in Ibiza at breaking point?

Not Ibiza per se but Barcelona's radical left (El Lokal) recently made their own feelings known with this limited edition t-shirt

autodefensa_veinal_negre-300x300.jpg.webp

whilst the PSOE are mired in corruption and actively support airport expansion...

feels like AENA are so powerful they can buy off any politician in Spain. To hell with the climate, marshlands, wildlife and local people.
 
Proper lol when The Secret DJ popped up, or maybe it was actually Papa Lazarou?

(Not to detract from the serious issues raised in the film, for which I think something must be done)
 
The way I see it, EITHER Ibiza carries on as it is, cannibalising itself OR some international shock forces a rethink. Maybe global geopolitics (topical, huh..) will screw tourism in the future, if people get nervous? Or maybe it will all just blow over. I said it during the pandemic and I’ll say it again, the whole of Spain needs to formulate a longer term plan B
 
I'm totally black-pilled on this subject. Spaniards are hardly having kids anymore. IIRC the birth rate is somewhere around 1,1 per woman. The original/indigenous population will gradually be reduced both by lack of reproduction and by being forced out due to the house price to income ratio. I'm not sure the local authorities can do anything meaningful. Most alternatives will be in breach of EU legislation.

I am pleased to have experienced Ibiza before this really kicks in, and slightly guilty of being a tourist and thereby contributing to the fall.

There are solutions, but I'm afraid an international shock like 1848 is the most realistic alternative to get a different kind of politicians elected. Although don't expect these to be kind and generous centrists. It could go many ways.
 
Snowy said:
I'm totally black-pilled on this subject. Spaniards are hardly having kids anymore. IIRC the birth rate is somewhere around 1,1 per woman. The original/indigenous population will gradually be reduced both by lack of reproduction and by being forced out due to the house price to income ratio. I'm not sure the local authorities can do anything meaningful. Most alternatives will be in breach of EU legislation.

I am pleased to have experienced Ibiza before this really kicks in, and slightly guilty of being a tourist and thereby contributing to the fall.

There are solutions, but I'm afraid an international shock like 1848 is the most realistic alternative to get a different kind of politicians elected. Although don't expect these to be kind and generous centrists. It could go many ways.
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if you'd actually watched the video you'd know it was about tourism NOT immigration..
 
The Sun God said:
if you'd actually watched the video you'd know it was about tourism NOT immigration..
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I didn't mention immigration. In fact my post was not about immigration.

A large part of the video is about the housing crisis, and that locals are having to leave the island. I wish there was some way for them to stay and thrive. But I don't see this getting solved anytime soon.
 
Snowy said:
I didn't mention immigration. In fact my post was not about immigration.

A large part of the video is about the housing crisis, and that locals are having to leave the island. I wish there was some way for them to stay and thrive. But I don't see this getting solved anytime soon.
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Ok. Perhaps I misunderstood. It's certainly true that birthrates are in decline but I'm not sure that is directly relevant here. The issue is a lack of planning and control by government agencies who have just left the free market to run rampage (to catastrophic effect)
 
I wonder when booking a holiday now whether you should commit to staying in a hotel rather than an Airbnb or similar place? (Not that I ever do in Ibiza, but guilty of it elsewhere.) Obviously just building new hotels everywhere causes its own problems, but at least this would stop locals being priced out of housing.
 
The Sun God said:
Ok. Perhaps I misunderstood. It's certainly true that birthrates are in decline but I'm not sure that is directly relevant here. The issue is a lack of planning and control by government agencies who have just left the free market to run rampage (to catastrophic effect)
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Kind of related:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clynq459wxgo

basically people would like to have more kids but cost of everything like housing etc make it hard.

The tech billionaires/millionaires wanting people to have more kids. Here is a novel idea, stop extracting mega wealth from society and invest it back in, so people don't have to work 2 jobs and live in a tent. (Looks at owners of mega clubs)

Edit: and DJs charging fortunes to turn up should hang head in shame too. Just because you can command 100k+ for a night doesn't mean you have to. (I do it because I love the music) 🫠
 
There are some issues that can be dealt with quickly; as mentioned the scarcity of water and flushing of loos isn't helped by hotel guests wallowing in baths, showers and flushing every so often, when locals are really short. So maybe rooms could be metered so the amount of water being used is charged for? That might concentrate a few minds towards conservation (ie a daily cap and then pay for the remainder). Also it's beyond belief that fresh water (even if recycled) is used in pools; use sea-water for goodness sakes! Or at least a 75-25% mix! I understand there are filtration issues but I'm sure that can be dealt with?

As for over-tourism and shortage of affordable living space for locals; really dunno the answer to that. If many come over for clubs/partying then could other parts of the Med not take up the baton and provide super-clubs, beach parties etc? Thinking Crete, Corfu, Cyprus?? Not by force but by stealth, such as much cheaper hotel rooms, cheaper flights and so on, making a bit more space on Ibiza?

Personally I think Ibiza has gone too expensive anyway - at least away from San An and PdB in all but early and very late summer, so it's becoming a magnet for the wealthy so I'm wondering if that will keep tourists away? And eventually things will balance out??
 
If you're still wondering why people are fed up, read THIS grim, grim, grim depiction of Ibiza Rocks in a recent El Diario article.

www.eldiario.es

"Nos dicen que aguantemos porque el turismo nos da de comer": el hotel-discoteca que tortura a vecinos de Ibiza

Un recinto gigante, el Ibiza Rocks, complica la vida de los residentes con sus fiestas de día –con capacidad para 2.500 personas–, ruidos, vómitos, orines, latas y cartones de comida rápida, amparados por una ley de Turismo del PP de 2012
www.eldiario.es www.eldiario.es

I paraphrased one or two bits which stood out

-----

The neighbours who signed a petition against the systemic excess of Ibiza Rocks Hotel felt too intimidated to give their names.

A member of the Ibiza Rocks staff acted aggressively when the ElDiario journalist and photographer approached on the street outside.

IR: Do you have a permit to be here?
ED: We're on a public road
IR: You can't be here. We weren't told about this
ED: We spoke to the press office about an interview but none was given
IR: So what are you going to say then?
ED: We'll report what we saw on the street
IR: Why don't you hassle some other businesses?
ED: <puzzled silence>
IR: Yeah, right. It's because you're tourism haters. And there's enough of you on this island!!

When asked, a local businessman said nervously, "You don't want to mess with Andy McKay... he has too much power here"
 
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