PalmThree out of four Balearic Islanders think there are too many tourists. This figure, which might have seemed like a minority opinion a few years ago, is now an almost unanimous clamor. And if we look at the details of the AETIB survey—a regional government agency—the picture is even more striking: nearly 80% of residents reject cruise ships. The message sent by this survey is clear, because not only activists or neighborhood organizations, but even many of those who make a living from tourism, agree that the model must be stopped, that limits must be set.
But if these limits aren't set despite the near-unanimity, then one wonders who is above all this, what is causing nothing to change? If society demands restraint and official data confirms it, how is it that the wheel keeps turning at the same rate, or even faster?
The case of the cruise ships is paradigmatic. Everyone knows they pollute, that they consume huge amounts of fresh water from our ports, that their passengers contribute very little to the local economy, and that they clog up historic centers for hours. And yet their arrivals aren't decreasing any further; instead, it feels like they're being managed as an essential part of the tourist scene, as if Palma couldn't exist without the tens of thousands of cruise passengers who disembark every week.
There must be very powerful interests not to stop it when so many people are asking for it. The big companies in the sector, the lobbies international institutions that operate beyond borders and governments, institutions whose ultimate objective is tax collection. Faced with this, who is willing to bear the political cost of saying enough? It's easier to resort to the narrative that "the situation is complex" or that "there are no immediate alternatives."
Meanwhile, citizens are trapped in a vicious circle: the problem is acknowledged, it is discussed in every conversation and institutional plenary session, but the framework remains static. This is evidenced by the fact that the Government had access to the survey data at least since May and had not made it public, as reported by the Civil Society Forum. Transparency also does not seem to be a priority when what is at stake is questioning the economic engine of the Islands.
But even the economy is beginning to speak a different language. Because a model that demands more and more resources and provides less well-being is a weak model. And because sustainability isn't just a story to fill brochures and sell at fairs, but a requirement for preserving the land and life.
In any case, what's striking is that society has already taken a step forward. The survey percentages make it clear that there is consensus and awareness. What's lacking is the political courage to set real limits and challenge interests that seem untouchable. Now the next survey should ask not what we think of tourists, but what tourists think of us. Perhaps we'd be surprised to see who asks for more limits.
