Has the penny dropped yet? Activists on Spanish streets shouting anti tourist slogans, graffiti on Barcelona walls saying ‘tourist go home’, keyboard warriors always willing to double down on why tourism is such a dirty word. Idealist thinking at its most dangerous.
Empty streets, staff being laid off, Mallorca restaurants 40% down, Balearic businesses closing. Can you join up the dots here? It’s August and tempers are starting to fray but the current situation has only shined a brighter light on Spain and Ibiza’s issues and many are seeking answers. The Ibiza business model that took 40 years to mould has taken 5 years to destroy.
Social media might tell you that all in the garden is rosy however as any serious user of ‘InstaSnapFace’ knows you should never let the facts get in the way of a good story, like influencers peddling their ‘perfect lives’ until you meet them only to realise they are neurotic basket cases using likes and views as their only currency.
If I’m not making any sense then let me spell it out with a simple equation. Tourismophobia + high prices + poor service = trouble.
But this is only half the story on the White Isle of Ibiza. 3 night weekend offenders who pre-book everything and only use the same 10 businesses (that all have a digital marketing army behind them), families who rarely leave their all inclusive hotel, an airport arrival lounge that doubles as a discotheque, fluid hotel pricing to eye watering levels and many other things are marginalising the middle market mass tourism that historically accounted for the majority of Ibiza’s income.
The world is too small, there are too many other options to try and pull the wool over the eyes of those valuable tourists. The re-emergence of Greece, the consistent quality of Turkey, the new markets opening up, forever tempting the tourist dollar. As any holiday company boss will tell you, it’s a cut throat business.
Ibiza has world class day and nightclubs, a rich culinary history that has now added top-end restaurants, a UNESCO world heritage site equivalent to any in the Mediterranean, natural beauty beyond compare. All the ingredients are there yet the final recipe is a bitter taste to many.
It’s a new order and many businesses are struggling under the pressure. The complementary offering can’t get a foothold anymore and whereas in previous years many could withstand the odd bad year, now it’s almost impossible.
The big businesses are becoming all powerful, there’s no room for others. The investment is so high that no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of success. Places that previously relied on historic goodwill have their wings clipped so are unable to function like before. Never has the phrase ‘the rich get richer and the poor get poorer’ been so apt. The Ibiza of 2025 is a relentless, ruthless place unforgiving for those who aren’t on the same page or lucky enough to be on the top table.
Ibiza is and always has been an incredible destination but the equilibrium is now so skewed that it’s creating social tension which has spilled over and blamed the one thing it can’t do without, the proverbial shooting yourself in the foot.
And guess what…. it looks like those pesky tourists who come over to Spain and the Balearics, and more specifically Ibiza and Mallorca, with pockets full of credit cards and have the audacity to enjoy themselves have started reading the headlines with placards and graffiti saying ‘tourist go home’. As the old saying goes, you reap what you sow.
Are we just more informed of our hosts’ dislike for us now? Has it perhaps always been the case that tourists are evil destroyers of culture and parking spaces?
We travelled to Ibiza as a family of four and returned last week, and as always, we had a wonderful time, even with the kids in tow.
What we noticed, and I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, is that Ibiza, in general, is not geared up for families. You know, those who have money and are prepared to spend it. As an example, we wanted to spend the day at a beach club in Playa D’en Bossa, but kids weren’t welcome (they’re 16 and 11, so not little and annoying), but we couldn’t find any that would accept us. We had a 4-figure budget for the day, but our money was not good enough. BTW, they were all almost empty when we were refused entry. Our kids love to party just as much as we do, and they love the proper Ibiza BOHO vibe and chilling in boujie environments, so it was such a shame. I’m sure the venues will be complaining about losing money, but if they’re not prepared to adapt, then I have no sympathy.
One thing we noticed, and we travelled all over the island this time, was that outside of the places you expect would charge top dollar, prices are considerably lower than in the UK. We ate out regularly in nice restaurants, and even with drinks, the bill rarely came in higher than 120 Euros. We were shocked. We can’t even dine at our local pub for anywhere close to that price. Even Café Mambo was reasonable, with what you might consider ‘normal’ prices.
I don’t think we were ever made to feel unwelcome, but I noticed that off the beaten track, particularly in the villages, the locals would refuse to make eye contact. Service was often slow, but I don’t think it was deliberately to annoy us. It looked more like short-staffing. How can service workers afford to live in Ibiza? I checked, and the cheapest apartment available to rent in Ibiza is a tiny little place for 900 euros p/month. That’s almost a service worker’s salary.
Ibiza is still wonderful, and nowhere can compare, but we can sense that it’s changing. It seems that by adding a bit of polish, they’ve somehow managed to take away its shine. Everyone we spoke to said it had changed. ‘It’s not like the old days!’ was a comment we heard regularly.
We can get hung up on nostalgia, but we must all keep going there if it’s going to survive. The sunsets are like nowhere else, the beaches are incredible, the music is awesome, the food is incredible, and there’s still something magical that remains, despite its fade.
We’re going back soon without the kids, but I wish we could take them with us and enjoy it just the same. Wishful thinking, I know.