The Mallorca Hotel Federation has installed a 39x15 metre banner at Palma airport with the message 'This is your holiday. This is our home', during peak season and on the eve of a demonstration against mass tourism.
A giant banner 39 metres wide and 15 metres high welcomes tourists arriving at Palma airport from this Monday. It has not been placed by environmental groups or locals tired of overcrowding: it has been funded by the Mallorca Hotel Federation (FEHM) itself. The message, in English, is clear: This is your holiday. This is our home.
A campaign initiated by the hoteliers themselves
The FEHM launched this awareness campaign on June 10 with a dozen billboards placed in strategic locations across the island. Now, in the midst of the peak season, they have decided to take the message to the heart of the tourism engine: Son Sant Joan. The choice of the airport is not coincidental: it is the gateway for most visitors.
The president of the FEHM, Javier Vich, explained that the initiative aims to remind that tourism and citizenship are part of the same reality. “We insist that both aspects are not incompatible, but complementary. Mallorca can continue to be an internationally renowned destination precisely because it is, above all, the home of thousands of people whose well-being and quality of life are part of the destination experience itself,” he stated.
The banner is part of other social media pieces linked to the initiative Tourism that Adds by Exceltur, which gives a voice to workers in the Mallorca hotel sector with very diverse profiles.
The social context: an island at its limit
The campaign arrives at a particularly sensitive moment. The social climate in Mallorca is heated by the debate over tourist overcrowding. In fact, a demonstration has been called for July 26 by the platform Less tourism, more life, which demands measures to mitigate the impact of tourism on residents' lives.
Hoteliers are aware of this discontent and with this banner, they aim to build bridges. The message appeals directly to the shared responsibility of visitors in preserving the environment. The campaign includes slogans like Let's all care and Let's keep it special together.
For the local resident in Palma or any village on the island, this banner may sound like an empty gesture if not accompanied by concrete measures. But at least, those in the sector acknowledge, it places the debate on a level of mutual respect, something that does not always happen during peak season.
The precedent: the controversial banner of 'the excess'
This is not the first time a banner at Palma airport has generated controversy. Just a month ago, the German financial group Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe placed a sign with the slogan Was auf Malle passiert, wird auf Malle beglichen (what happens in Mallorca, gets paid in Mallorca), a play on words parodying the famous saying about Las Vegas. The campaign, which promoted a payment system, was heavily criticized for trivializing the excesses of binge tourism. In the face of the backlash, the entity was forced to remove the giant sign and issue a public apology.
The new banner from the FEHM, on the other hand, opts for a constructive tone. But the question many are asking is whether the message will resonate with tourists arriving eager for parties and relaxation. The banner is merely a first step; coexistence is played out every day in the streets, beaches, and villages of the island.
For now, anyone landing at Son Sant Joan these days will encounter a friendly yet firm reminder: this is not just a holiday destination, it is the home of 900,000 people. And like any home, there are rules of coexistence to follow. The campaign will be active throughout the summer, and hoteliers hope the message will spread like wildfire among visitors. After all, taking care of what you have is the best way to ensure it remains special.
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