Complaints of overcrowding have reached Menorca, as a small group of residents staged an anti-tourism protest during local festivities.
Celebrations for the Sant Joan festivities in Ciutadella are known far and wide, and are attended by tourists from around the country – and the globe.
However, they quickly realised they might not be welcome as other attendees hung a banner stating “Sant Joan is not a business, it is a feeling. Enough of overcrowding”.
This comes as protests have already erupted in places like Majorca, as locals have launched campaigns against overtourism. Certain areas of Menorca have already taken measures to combat the overcrowding issue likely to worsen as summer approaches.
Binibeca Vell, one of the busiest places in the south of Menorca dubbed “Spain’s Mykonos” for its picturesque white walls and pristine streets, is only open to visitors from 11 am to 8pm since May 1 this year.
This, according to the local owners’ association, was done to protect the village from the more than 800,000 tourists who visit it every year.
“We have been a private urbanisation for 52 years, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to enjoy a quiet holiday, as we pay dearly for being the most popular tourist attraction in Menorca,” said Óscar Monge, president of this association.
“Binibeca is promoted by the administration and tourism companies, but what benefit do we get out of it?”
Monge aims to propose the definitive closure of visits at a meeting on August 10, as the 1,000 residents of the small fishing village are struggling with the yearly inconvenience.
While the Council of Menorca and Sant Lluís Town Council provide just over 25,000 euros a year to help the owners of these houses paint, clean, and maintain the postcard image of their homes, Monge believes this compensation is not enough.
According to him, the houses in Binibeca Vell have gone down in value, much like in Mykonos, as the overcrowding of visitors has led to a general nuisance suffered by the area.