Panic in Ibiza as British tourists 'leave it on brink of collapse'

Ibiza is on the brink of collapse due to overtourism, and British holidaymakers are a major part of the problem. This is the stark view of Spanish journalist and author Joan Lluís Ferrer, who has just published a new book called Ibiza Overcrowded.

The influx of tourists has helped drive up housing prices and placed massive strains on natural resources such as water. Ferrer-a local who has lived all his life in Ibiza-claims that the island is the "ground zero" of overcrowding in holiday destinations in Europe. The Balearic Islands have been a favourite haunt for Brits and European tourists for many years.

Last year, a whopping 3.27 million visitors descended on the island, according to data from IBESTAT. This was up from three million visitors in 2019 and 2.4 million in 2014.

The island has just 164,000 inhabitants, meaning there were 20 tourists to every local person.

Although there was a slight drop in the number of Brits visiting Ibiza in June this year, many experts believe this is only temporary.

The 7.6% drop in UK tourists was more than compensated for by a 21% increase in visitors from France and Italy.

Ferrer argues that the island's relatively small size means its resources are limited and that the rising number of tourists could drive it to collapse.

He told iNews: "In places like Majorca, the overcrowding is more spread out, but in Ibiza it is across the whole island.

"And in places like Barcelona or Valencia, if you have had enough of tourism, you can get away. It is not possible in Ibiza as it is an island."

Ferrer also points out that mass tourism has led to a steep jump in property and rental prices, as more and more apartments are converted into holiday flats.

The average monthly rent for a small one-bedroom apartment is about €1,500 (£1,309), according to local authority figures. Meanwhile, Spain's national minimum wage is €1,381 (£1,205).