Thousands of people protested in Spain's Balearic Islands on Saturday against mass tourism ahead of the summer season, Azernews reports reports citing Reuters.

Holding posters reading SOS Residents, Enough Mass Tourism, protesters marched through Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the largest Balearic Island. About 10,000 demonstrators took part, a Spanish National police spokesperson said.

A smaller protest with a few hundred people was staged in Menorca.

"We want the authorities to stop people who have not lived here more than five years from buying properties and to put more controls on holiday accommodation," said Carme Reines, from a collective which organised the protest in Palma de Mallorca.

Javier Carbonell, a real estate agent, said over half of rental properties were used for holiday rents and were not affordable for locals.

"We want less mass tourism and more sustainable tourism," Carbonell said.