Mallorca seems to know no limits - at least when it comes to holidaymaker numbers. 12.8 million tourists by October 2024: a new record for the largest of the Balearic Islands. But while the sun is shining on the beaches and the tills are ringing, one wonders: how many records can an island actually cope with?
Record figures that go beyond the horizonn
The latest Frontur figures from the Spanish statistics institute INE show it in black and white: Mallorca is growing. With an increase of 7 percent compared to the previous year the island is ahead of the rest. In total, the Balearic Islands recorded 18 million visitors200,000 more than in the whole of 2023.
Mallorca with its Vacationer numbers in the spotlight. The neighboring islands, on the other hand, are only playing second fiddle this year: Everything remained the same on Menorca - 1.6 million touristsa figure that doesn't feel like a record at all. Ibiza and Formentera even lost ground: 3.6 million vacationersa decrease of 1.7 percent. Maybe they just wanted to take it a little easier there?
Spain as a whole: all records in one fell swoop
Overall, Spain is proving to be a true tourism heavyweight. With 82.9 million travelers by October and a growth rate of 10.8 percent the country is heading for a year-end figure of 95 million vacationers to. That would be 10 million more than in 2023. So it's fair to ask whether Mallorca wouldn't have gotten a slice of this big cake, even without the annual hunt for records.
More guests, more money - or not?
It seems that holidaymakers are as relaxed about their spending as they are about their sandals on the beaches. In Mallorca, the Spending per tourist up 16 percent - that results in 15.5 billion euros for the island alone. Throughout the Balearic Islands, visitors brought 21.7 billion euros into the coffers.
But there are also dampeners: Spanish vacationersonce a reliable regular guest on the Balearic Islands, remained in the red in 2024 with a drop of 1.8 percent more often at home. Even more painful: a Decline of 3 percent in British touriststhe old Mallorca fans from the very beginning. Perhaps it was the longing for cheap beer - or simply the Price increaseswhich now make even a sangria-eyed person blink.
A fragile balancing act
Mass tourism and sustainability - two terms that repel each other like magnetic poles. The Mallorcanwho are coping with everyday life between a booming economy and the rising cost of living are feeling the effects of the record tourism figures particularly keenly.
At the same time, tourism remains the island's lifeline. The balancing act between growth and the preservation of Mallorca's cultural and natural wealth will become even more difficult in the coming years. The question remains: Can the island continue to grow without losing its soul?
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