Responding to the anti-tourist graffiti that has appeared in Palma's old town district - as reported in today's Bulletin - the mayor, José Hila, says that "it is senseless" to daub slogans against tourists. "We are a tourist city and tourism is our industry," Hila stated today in emphasising the importance of tourism for creating employment and of lengthening the tourism season.
The mayor said that he has instructed the local police to find those responsible for the graffiti, which gives a "bad" image of Palma and of the historical buildings on which it has appeared: walls of protected buildings have been included.
Hila explained that the town hall is arranging for the immediate removal of graffiti from buildings that don't have protected status, but in the case of protected buildings it may take time as cleaning will require studying regulations as they pertain to such buildings.
The mayor added that there are many types of forum where "any issue" can be discussed but not by scrawling graffiti on the city's buildings. He said that there has been a debate for several years as to whether Palma has too many tourists, but this is a "challenge" for the city and the forum to consider it is within the city's general plan.