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Toxic Tourism - Mallorca’s Housing Crisis

May 30, 2025

The Spanish island of Mallorca is a popular holiday destination. But short term rentals and rising property prices are forcing more and more locals out of their neighborhoods.

Nahaufnahme Toxischer Tourismus - Wohnungskrise auf Mallorca
Image: NDR

Millions of tourists come to the island every year. But many Mallorcans can no longer afford the rents here.

Image: NDR

60-year-old Begoña is a parking inspector. She and her son Hector, who works as a waiter, live in a caravan in Palma, Mallorca’s capital. Their combined income of 2,500 euros isn’t enough to afford an apartment.

Image: NDR

A 22-year-old medical student, Christofer lives in a stuffy basement room in Palma and pays 600 euros a month. The conditions are catastrophic: the sewage pumps are defective and it smells awful, and the power is often out. These are just 2 stories from the growing problem of Mallorca’s housing shortage.

 

 

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