When Tourism Goes Too Far

As a resident of the Spanish island of Mallorca, I can say I am well accustomed to the term "booze tourism". I see it every summer in specific locations of the island, such as Magalluf or Playa de Palma. It basically has three main pillars which make it what it is. First of all, the alcohol consumption is very high. They are literally drunk all day and all night. I've seen people (mostly men) passed out on the beach or stumbling across the streets. If I go to the booze hotspots, I automatically assume everyone is drunk. That's how bad it is. The second thing they are after is the nice weather, which is really not bad in itself. Not everyone has the pleasure of enjoying such warmth in the summer or of having the beautiful beaches we have here. What I don't like at all is the fact that they taint the beaches with beer bottles, straws and plastic cups. They have no respect for anything at all, either due to the fact that they are too drunk to notice or that they don't care since it is not their own country. And lastly, another thing they come here for is sex, which is unfortunate because it really gives the island a bad image.

All this attracts a big amount of mostly British, Austrian and German tourists from the months of May to September, roughly speaking. All ages participate in this type of tourism, but the vast majority are between 18 and 30 years old. Nonetheless, groups of retired or middle-aged men also take part in it. Some may think that all these people help the island's economy because of the money they waste here or the jobs they can generate. In reality, most of them buy all-inclusive packs, which means they get the meals included into the price they pay, so they don't have to go out and buy food at Spanish restaurants. Another important thing is that some of the hotels and commerces are actually owned by foreigners, so they hire people from their countries (either Brits or Germans). Some don't even speak Spanish, which is quite ironic.

But they aren't only harming the island, but also themselves. In recent years, it has become routinary to hear of the deaths of tourists because they practice what we call "balconing". It's basically jumping off a hotel room balcony to land in the pool below, but it usually goes haywire and they result injured, or much worse, dead. There are also reports of drownings and violence due to the high consumption of alcohol.

Another important point is that they do not take the time to appreciate the beauty of the island, besides where beaches are concerned. The capital city, Palma, has lots of interesting attractions, such as the cathedral and many medieval constructions. And even if they are only interested in beaches, they should go see the truly astounding, crystal clear and booze-free ones. Apart from that, most of them don't get a taste of Mallorcan or Spanish culture at all, since the places they frequent have stereotyped portrayals of it. In my opinion, they should go where the residents go and see a bit how life is lived, what food is typical or what local quirks we have here.

All in all, this type of reckless tourism isn't doing anyone much good and that is why the Balearic government is trying its hardest to reduce it. They will ban public drinking and make most of the hotels four or five stars. They are aiming to attract more well-behaved, richer crowds to make it a more serious travel destination.

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