Around 1200 people came together in late September under the banner of ‘Canviem el Rumb’ or ‘Let’s change Course’ to give it an English translation.
In a change to the more radical protests and anti tourist sentiment the platform came together to call for limits on Ibiza’s current tourism model and action against the social and ecological crisis that has accelerated in recent years.
The protest group point to problems such as beach overcrowding, potential droughts and criticising local government for continuing to allow unrestricted watering of tropical gardens in luxury houses, the building of luxury villas with swimming pools and using water reserves on tourist facilities. They also attacked the simultaneous arrival of cruise ships, mega yachts and private jets.
Their manifesto also focussed on the Ibiza housing crisis pointing at workers living in tents and those who have had to leave the island due to difficulties of finding reasonably priced housing. “For many years we have been told that tourism generated wealth, prosperity and progress. But after so many seasons of record tourist arrivals, where is that wealth?” they ask.
The platform considers that it still possible to “get the situation back on track” making a series of requests such as limiting the arrival of aeroplanes at Ibiza’s airport, prohibiting or setting limits on private jets, cruise ships and mega yachts.
They also demanded limits on rental vehicles and improving public transport. Among their proposals is the more polarising request to restrict the purchase of houses by non-residents plus a call to end the privatisation and commercialisation of beaches, regulating rental prices and ensuring that infrastructure such as roads “are paid for by tourism” as well as putting an end to the tourist promotion of Ibiza and Formentera using public money.
“The decrease in tourism is a demand that we make to the administrations, but it is also a brave commitment that we must make together,” they stated in the manifesto. “This current model is beginning to collapse,” they concluded.
The pressure is now on Balearic law makers to try to navigate their way through rocky waters where there is a continuing discontent to the White Isles direction of travel and where disparities are only getting wider.
As the summer season draws to a close and the island becomes quieter it’s a good time to reflect on the way forward but what is clear is that these types of protests will only become more frequent if new legislation isn’t brought in or the perception of tourists first and residents second isn’t addressed at some level.
MAN IN SAN AN by Martin Makepeace 
I wish I had known about this. I am so worried about water having therapy horses when out exercising them i see over many fences and all I see is huge swimming pools surrounded by green grass meanwhile when the local well dried up I call the Consell and there is no emergency provision in place for livestock, which is shocking. I then called the water company to get a quote for joining the mains system (our water comes in a truck and the price has gone up nearly 50% since May) and was told that they are not allowed to run pipes in rural areas! Crazy! meanwhile one neighbour is illegally selling water to many neighbouring houses and there are pipes everywhere. Come on ibiza it’s time this water crisis is taken seriously.
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Hey Martin,
This is really interesting, do you have a contact for the group heading up this initiative.
I am interested in it and putting forward a voice for the Sa Peña area, a place where the council seem to talk about regenerating before the elections and then neglect once they are in.
The group I am in for Sa Peña seem to be very negative about tourists / gypsies and the council and negativity and complaining in what’s app does nothing!
Thank you. And thank you for your posts!
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