‘Tourists go home’ as visitor surge in Spain sparks backlash

Tourists are bypassing riskier destinations and flocking to Spain’s hotspots but locals are frustrated by what they see as disruption to their lives and pressure on services, writes Sarah White

On the walls of the grand old houses of this Balearic port which attracts millions of foreigners every year, a new kind of graffiti has flourished: “Tourists go home”.

Although still a minority protest, it points to tensions in Palma de Mallorca and elsewhere in Spain over rising numbers of visitors who are propelling the economy but also disrupting the lives of locals and straining services from transport to water.