The eyes of Europe will be on Palma this evening with thousands of people expected to march against mass tourism and calling for cheaper housing. The international media has arrived in Palma in force with the BBC coming live from the island this morning.
Organisers would like to see a repeat of the first march in May which was attended by 10,000 people. Scores of groups and trade unions have given their backing to the protest but a low turnout would be seen as a major blow and in some ways indicative of the growing concern that these protests are damaging the industry. The Hoteliers Federation earlier this month did say that there had been a slowdown in bookings but blamed the poor weather and the European soccer championships.
Restaurant and bar takings, according to their association, were down by 20 percent in June and the Bulletin has also learnt that some major retail outlets are reporting lower sales than usual. At the moment no-one is suggesting that this could be as a result of the protests.
Organisers of the march have taken to social media calling for a massive turnout to show their support for a cap on mass tourism. On Friday night messages calling for support were beamed on to the principal buildings in Palma include the Balearic government headquarters. So far the government has sat on the fence saying that there are too many tourists but at the same time indicating that it is our principal form of revenue.
The government has ordered full reports into a new tourism model which could call for a reduction in the number of tourists.
The protest comes at a time when the island´s tourism industry is at its peak and the protest will be viewed by hundreds of tourists. The local government has pleaded protestors not to shout abuse at tourists. Today's protest march could be seen as a turning point for the industry. It could be a case of Enough is Enough or a storm in a tea-cup. The stakes are high.