Balearic Islands ban social media influencers amid 'selfie tourism' chaos

Authorities in Spain's Balearic Islands have announced they will stop using social media influencers to promote their stunning destinations, warning that "selfie tourism" is wreaking havoc on some of the region's most beautiful spots.

Initially, the Balearic government hoped influencers-who boast hundreds of thousands of followers-would help ease the pressure on well-known tourist sites by encouraging visitors to explore lesser-known areas instead, reports

But the plan spectacularly backfired, as remote and environmentally sensitive locations have been flooded by tourists eager to snap selfies, post them online, and leave, causing damage and overcrowding.

"It's had the completely opposite effect to what was intended and runs contrary to government policy on containing tourism," a spokesman for the Balearic tourism department admitted over the weekend.

One striking example is Caló des Moro, a tiny cove in Mallorca designed to hold around 100 visitors. After an influencer shared the spot with their audience, the cove was inundated with thousands of tourists daily, putting the fragile environment under immense strain.

Last June, María Pons, the local mayor, revealed that up to 4,000 people and 1,200 vehicles descended on the cove every day. She made a public plea for journalists and tour operators to stop mentioning the location altogether.

In response, the local authority has now removed all images of Caló des Moro from its official website.

Similarly, on Ibiza, authorities have shut access to the popular lookout point at Es Vedrà following residents' complaints about overcrowding and mounting rubbish.

This backlash against influencers is not limited to Spain. Bali has imposed hefty fines after tourists were caught posing naked at sacred sites, while the small US town of Pomfret in Vermont has restricted visitor numbers during the autumn foliage season due to overwhelming tourist crowds.

With Spain expecting record tourism numbers this summer-following nearly 100 million visitors last year-tensions are already boiling over. Protests have erupted over the impact of mass tourism, especially concerning rising housing costs.

Just last month, tourists in Barcelona were targeted with water pistol attacks. Over the weekend, tens of thousands marched in the Canary Islands carrying banners declaring "Massive tourism is making us homeless" and "The Canaries are not for sale." The archipelago, with a population of 2.2 million, welcomed a record 17 million tourists last year.

Across Spain, the shortage of affordable housing is the leading social crisis, with tourist apartments blamed as a key factor. Last year saw large demonstrations in Tenerife, Palma de Mallorca, Sevilla, Madrid, Barcelona, and other cities, with further protests expected in 2025.

Meanwhile, Spain's consumer affairs ministry, supported by the supreme court, has ordered Airbnb to remove 65,000 illegal rental listings nationwide. Madrid alone accounted for 15,200 illegal tourist apartments, according to figures released last March.

Airbnb faces fines of up to €100,000 (£84,000) or six times the profits made from illegal flats if it does not comply.

Despite this, the company has appealed previous government demands to delist ads. A Madrid court urged Airbnb to "immediately" withdraw 5,800 listings, according to the ministry.

An Airbnb spokesperson stated the firm would continue to challenge the rulings, criticising the ministry's "indiscriminate methodology" and questioning its authority to enforce tourist accommodation laws.

The spokesperson added that the ministry "has deliberately ignored" Spanish supreme court decisions clarifying that not all Airbnb ads require registration numbers.