Overtourism

With the calm of autumn and the cool winter just around the corner, we begin to take stock of the summer that has just passed and listen to the echoes of the voices of all those involved in this extraordinary season. 

Overtourism was the undisputed protagonist of the European summer, instagram and tik tok were seen as the vehicles leading the masses, further crowding the most popular touristic destinations, creating new routes in places outside the same tourist circuits.

In Rome, the church of St. Ignatius of Loyola was taken by tiktokers by storm, not because of the frescoes and works of art inside, but because of the presence of a mirror that, thanks to a play of perspectives, lends itself to creating the perfect selfie. In short, a place known by few, silent, dedicated to worship and prayer, in a short time has become a catalyst for artistic content that is published on social networks, with the resulting queues to visit the church.

Anonymous destinations that go viral, tourist spots that become increasingly popular, artistic cities taken by storm, and among these coveted destinations our wonderful Mallorca could certainly not be missing.

The largest island of the Balearic Islands, like so many coastal towns in Spain, has experienced an estimated increase in tourist flow of around 10% compared to the same period in 2023 (which had already been an extraordinary year). In some Spanish cities, the influx of tourists has been so strong that politicians have been persuaded to take measures to curb this growing phenomenon. 

Will it be enough to limit short-term rentals, increase tourist taxes, introduce entry fees or visas, force tourists to fill in ‘forms’ requesting personal information, sensitive data about the nature of the trip? 

It is true that the impact of mass tourism in some destinations has become unsustainable and that the arrival of millions of people in the same place causes serious problems for the residents who live there, but we are convinced that in order to face this new global challenge we need a shared strategy between the parties and, above all, the will to always promote sustainable and responsible tourism.

Hotel BonSol Resort & SPA has always been a pioneer in the sustainable and responsible tourism movement and will always defend this model. From its origins, its founder, Antonio Xamena, a great lover of nature, was committed to an architecture that would give rise to cohabitation with nature and this is still the case, as evidenced by our more than 8000m2 of gardens that are maintained to this day. Furthermore, we have implemented initiatives such as the compensation of CO2 with extensive tree plantations in Costa Rica, among many others, and we are always tirelessly studying how to reduce our environmental impact and protect our wonderful territory and planet, while we continue to happily welcome each and every one of you to this little corner of paradise, which is Mallorca and of course the BonSol.