Obviously, the video taken by a shocked British tourist at a hotel in Mallorca were not taken today as the island is lashed by severe storms and strong winds. However, this was the scene a guest at the hotel was faced with early one morning as battle lines were drawn by fellow guests in the mad crazy rush for sunbeds round the various swimming pools.
The mother and wife named Sheralee experienced this first-hand when she travelled to Mallorca for a family holiday. The tourist shared on TikTok that she had “never seen anything so funny in my life” when she got up for the day while staying at a popular hotel last month. Sheralee shared a video on TikTok and repeatedly told viewers to “please look” at the scene she was seeing while likely filming the video from her hotel room.
But there appears to be more to fighting for a sunbed than meets the eye. A prominent travel psychologist recently shed light on the peculiar phenomenon of British and German tourists reserving pool loungers with towels at dawn in Mallorca’s hotels. This practice, which has recently gained viral attention through social media, stems from deep-rooted psychological factors according to expert Barbara Horvatits-Ebner.
Speaking to travel website reisereporter.de, Horvatits-Ebner explains: “It’s often about the fear of missing out or not belonging. Many act from a desire to avoid failure - and this provides security.” The expert suggests that this behaviour is driven by territorial instincts and the need to secure preferred spots around the pool.
The psychologist notes that the visible placement of towels serves as a non-verbal communication method, helping tourists avoid direct confrontation over lounger ownership. “The need for conformity strongly guides behaviour,“ she adds, pointing out that when several loungers are already marked with towels, other guests feel increased pressure to follow suit.