Overbooking

Director: Álex Dioscórides

Producer: Joe Holles

Country: ES

Synopsis

The Mediterranean basin receives more tourists than any other destination in the world. At its heart we find the island of Mallorca, one of the cradles of mass tourism, visited each year by almost as many tourists as three of the Caribbean?s top destinations combined: Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. One of Europe?s most prosperous regions two decades ago, over 70% of Mallorca?s population lives off tourism, whether directly or indirectly.

However, everything has a price: high pollution levels, the destruction of virgin landscapes, diminishing natural resources and over-development. In recent decades, the excesses of mass tourism have sparked a debate among the island?s residents due to the ever-diminishing quality of life suffered by the population. Many of the local residents feel that the island?s main source of income is leading to the depersonalization of neighbourhoods, towns and villages, transforming them into theme parks where it is increasingly difficult for the local population to live.

What was once the ?Island of Calm? is now on the verge of collapse. Multiple alarm bells are starting to ring. Is this model of tourism sustainable? Could Mallorca transform itself and become a reference for so many other places suffering from the same problem?

Objectives

The Mediterranean basin receives more tourists than any other destination in the world. At its heart we find the island of Mallorca, one of the cradles of mass tourism, visited each year by almost as many tourists as three of the Caribbean?s top destinations combined: Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. One of Europe?s most prosperous regions two decades ago, over 70% of Mallorca?s population lives off tourism, whether directly or indirectly.

However, everything has a price: high pollution levels, the destruction of virgin landscapes, diminishing natural resources and over-development. In recent decades, the excesses of mass tourism have sparked a debate among the island?s residents due to the ever-diminishing quality of life suffered by the population. Many of the local residents feel that the island?s main source of income is leading to the depersonalization of neighbourhoods, towns and villages, transforming them into theme parks where it is increasingly difficult for the local population to live.

What was once the ?Island of Calm? is now on the verge of collapse. Multiple alarm bells are starting to ring. Is this model of tourism sustainable? Could Mallorca transform itself and become a reference for so many other places suffering from the same problem?