The Government responds, after Sóller's protest, that it has already taken measures against overpopulation

PalmaThe second vice-president and Minister of the Presidency, Antònia Estarellas, on Monday evaluated the demonstration that last Saturday gathered thousands of people in Sóller against overcrowding. In a press statement collected by Europa Press, she assured that she shares the demands against the touristification of the municipality and expressed "maximum respect" for the protest. She also defended the Government's action in containment matters.

"This Government, from the very beginning, has been very aware that the Islands cannot continue to grow," he said: "They must have a limit." Thus, he defended measures of the Executive, such as the fight against illegal tourist rentals. Thus, he expressed his "utmost respect" for the demonstration in Soller, which took place with a "climate of tranquility, protest, and within a margin of coexistence".

Although in 2024 the Government promised "bold" measures, in this legislature no major restrictions have been applied to overtourism. The Executive has implemented measures to regulate tourist rentals, but the fiscal initiatives for containment announced this legislature – such as the Sustainable Tourism Tax, the water and rental car levy – have not materialized. Likewise, the containment advocated by the Executive is not reflected, for the moment, in the arrival figures: in 2025 a new record was broken with more than 19 million tourists in the Islands.