Yzabelle Bostyn
THE CEO of TUI, Sebastian Ebel, says they have reached their ‘capacity’ on the Balearic Islands.
They are now looking into other, less crowded Mediterranean destinations to grow including Egypt, Turkey and Algeria.
Ebel said there was ‘no room to grow’ in terms of the number of holidaymakers, recognising the record number of tourists expected yet again this summer.
This year, the second largest tour operator in Britain will bring around two millions tourists to the islands, five percent more than last year.
Photo: TUI
He also recognised the complaints from locals regarding overcrowding and mass tourism.
Ebel attributed these to the growth in holiday-lets, saying they cause ‘great challenges.’
“Putting it bluntly, the main targets of the complaints are Airbnb and similar platforms,” he said.
READ MORE: Mallorca beach club where four people died after its roof caved in ‘did not have correct licences’
“These are not protests against tourism, but rather protests calling for responsible tourism that is also economically successful for local people.”
He claimed ‘tour packages are not the problem’, attributing the rising house prices to ‘foreigners’ who have bought properties in the area to rent them out to tourists.
