The Hotel Federation shares the protesters' requests and asks that they be heard "responsibly"
The business employers' association recalls that the tourist places created in recent years are from holiday rentals, and they ask to fight against the illegal ones
PalmaThe Federation of Hotel Employers of Mallorca (FEHM) has called this Monday to "act" and "leave polarization behind" after Sunday's massive demonstration against tourist overcrowding. The entity's executive vice-president, María José Aguiló, has assured that the sector shares the social concerns expressed by protesters during the demonstration, but has warned that the debate about the future of the Islands "should not be reduced solely to tourist degrowth".
"Our reading of the demonstration is that the time has come to act and leave polarization behind," said Aguiló. The employers' association recognizes that concerns about access to housing, mobility, pressure on natural resources, and quality of life "are legitimate" and assures that they have been part of its agenda "for a long time".
Nevertheless, the FEHM maintains that these challenges require "structural solutions" and argues that the debate should focus on better destination management, long-term planning, and data-driven decisions. In this regard, Aguiló recalled that "the greatest growth in capacity since 2017 has occurred in holiday rentals, not in hotel capacity," and defended the policy of investment, reconversion, and commitment to the quality of the hotel sector.
The employers' association also calls for "forceful" action against illegal tourist offerings and advocates for promoting economic diversification as a complement to tourist activity, not as a substitute. "It is easier to move forward by joining synergies than to start from scratch when we are already a world-leading and highly specialized tourism destination," she stated.
In relation to Sunday's mobilization, the FEHM highlights that the protest "was civic and proceeded normally" until the incidents recorded at the end of the day, which it considers "tarnished the general tone." Therefore, the employers' association insists that "now is not the time to continue creating tension or generating friction," but rather to work together to reconcile the well-being of residents with business competitiveness, economic prosperity, and the tourism leadership of the Balearic Islands.