VOTE FOR M-EXIT
Menorca town dubbed ‘Spain’s Mykonos’ holds referendum on BANNING tourists after being ‘trapped’ in homes by influencers
Locals had already put up chains to stop tourists from accessing the village
FED-UP locals in a town in Menorca will hold a referendum on banning tourists in the latest blow to holidaymakers.
Residents in Binibeca Vell, dubbed "Spain's Mykonos", say they are tired of being "trapped" inside their homes as selfie-seeking influencers take over their village.
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Locals had previously said they did not want any visitors roaming around their private roads before 11am and after 8pm.
They even resorted to chaining up all 22 entrances to the village in a desperate bid to keep tourists away.
Now, they will take matters one step further with all 195 residents voting on Friday on whether to completely ban all tourists from Binibeca Vell.
Locals in the idyllic fishermen's village have been complaining about tourists disrespecting private property by going through their doors, scaling balconies, and climbing stairs in an attempt to get the perfect social media snap.
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Resident Edoardo Gomez, 31, told : “There’ll be a person posing for a photo.
"And as soon as they’re done, another one steps forward.”
“The tourists touch everything.
"One of our neighbours has lots of plants in pots and the tourists move them so that they can get a better photo. They sit in chairs on private verandas.
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He continued: “They talk loudly and the noise reverberates because the village is very small and enclosed.
"They sit on steps and when the owner asks them to move, they refuse because they’re trying to get the perfect photo.”
Menorca holiday hotspot dubbed 'Mykonos of Spain' CHAINS up streets to keep tourists out as protest erupt across Majorca
Known for its whitewashed cottages and winding walkways, Binibeca can only accommodate 500 permanent residents in the summer, but every year 800,000 tourists cram into its alleyways.
Pictures now show the picturesque town almost completely deserted, as many of its alleyways have ropes and chains with a small round sign indicating not to trespass.
Disgruntled residents have begun to post images of tourists mistreating their private residences on the village website.
One photo shows a tourist sprawled out on a stairwell, while another shows someone scaling a balcony.
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Online, tourists are asked to "avoid uncivic attitudes" by not "visiting the houses or climbing staircases or balconies" and to "use the bins and maintain the walls white".
Business owners who depend significantly on the trade from visitors coming to the town are concerned about a complete ban.
The president of the Binibeca Vell Community of Property Owners, Oscar Monge, said visitors are welcome and new regulations are not intended to negatively impact anyone's ability to make a living.
Mr Monge also claimed the island council ruined a municipal agreement allowing visitors to enter Binibeca Vell by neglecting to control bus influx and taking away a €15,000 grant for trash cleanup.
He said: “We pay dearly for being the most popular tourist attraction in Menorca.
“Binibeca is promoted by the island administration and the tourism companies, but what benefit do we get out of it?
"We don’t have anything against tourism, but sometimes it feels like we’re living in Disneyland Paris.”
ANTI-TOURISM PROTESTS
There are 1.2 million permanent residents in the Balearic Islands, which include Menorca, Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
In 2023, a record-breaking 18 million tourists visited the islands.
Of these, 14.4 million were foreign visitors, the majority coming from Germany and the UK.
Menorca is one of the many Spanish destinations to see anti-tourist signs and demonstrations, following on from Majorca, Ibiza, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands over the past months.
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Locals have also slammed unruly tourists and previously branded Brits as "low-quality" tourists who "drink cheap beer, lay in the sun and eat burgers and chips".
Bitter graffiti has been plastered on walls across Majorca - and other Spanish hotspots - urging tourists to "go home".
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Locals have even threatened to block the island’s airports and protest outside hotels.
Tourism company TUI previously declared the Balearic Islands had "reached capacity" and asked holidaymakers to look elsewhere when booking their next holiday.
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
MENORCA and Majorca are just some of the European hotspots implementing anti-tourist measures.
Many top holiday destinations across the continent are taking action to prevent unwanted travellers from taking over their towns and cities.
Locals feel they can no longer live in the iconic destinations because they have become overcrowded, unsafe and uncomfortable.
They say there are too many cars on the roads, traffic congestion, overcrowded beaches, blocked access roads, ruined beauty spots and just too many holidaymakers flocking to the island which expects record figures this summer.
In April, thousands of people took to the streets in Tenerife to demand restrictions on holidaymakers after telling Brits to "go home".
The anti-tourist hordes filled a square in the capital brandishing banners including some that read “You enjoy we suffer” in English.
Protests also took place at the same time on other popular Canary islands including Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
The marches were organised under the slogan "The Canary Islands have a limit.”
Hotel bosses in Benidorm have even admitted they are “very worried” by the anger growing amongst island residents but branded holiday homes in Spain a "virus".
More recently, the Committee on Tourism, Trade, Employment, Culture and Sport reportedly approved an initiative to reintroduce a cap on cruise ships to Palma, Majorca's capital.
Politicians are keen to implement a new set of rules on cruise ships in terms of taxation, the environment or the use of less polluting fuels to lower numbers coming into the Balearics.
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