A woman who returned to Majorca after more than three years living abroad has spoken of her sadness at the number of tourists she found on the Spanish holiday island.
Carol Vásquez, a native of the Balearic island, had been living in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for three and a half years before deciding to come back for a visit. On her return this summer, she said she was saddened by what she discovered, noting a massive influx of tourists. Majorca is a major travel hub for Brits during the spring and summer months because of its warm seas and hot climate.
TikTok video expresses dismay
So upset was Ms Vásquez that she took to TikTok to share her dismay, admitting she was “a bit sad” over how peak tourist season had changed how she felt about her home island.
The content creator said: “I am feeling a bit sad because I am from Mallorca. I have actually lived in Punta Cana for three and a half years, and every time I come back to Mallorca, especially now in the summer, I don't enjoy it.
“I get really overwhelmed because there are many tourists. There are so many tourists that the local people cannot enjoy the island.”
Criticism extends beyond beaches
Ms Vásquez said her criticism of Majorca was not just about typical tourism hotspots such as the beaches, but parts of the island where locals who live there year-round gather.
She added: “I’m not talking about the beaches anymore; I’m talking about the town centre, the places where we’ve always gone to eat.”
Ms Vásquez subsequently claimed that there was “no way to enjoy the island” and that the only way to do so was by “dodging people”.
Government calls for tourism limits
Her comments come as Spain continues to try to find ways to manage an annual overtourism crisis that sees millions of people travel to its towns and cities, often affecting local people. Majorca is often one of the hardest hit, welcoming around 13.6 million visitors last year alone.
The problem has become so acute that Marga Prohens, President of the Balearic Government, has called for “limits” on tourism. In a statement during the Forbes Economic Summit 2026, she declared the situation was not sustainable. She said: “We cannot continue growing at this pace and with this model.
“We can’t keep measuring the success of tourist seasons by the number of tourists coming each year; we need to talk about limits and manage them.”
Ms Prohens emphasised the need to think about tourism beyond things such as beaches and hotels to help the region best utilise its biggest economic driver without making the overtourism situation worse. She added: “Tourism is much more than hotels, sun, and beaches, or managing visitor flows; it is innovation, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, and new technologies.”
