Tourim soared last month in Majorca in a huge blow to the country’s anti-tourism protestors. Visitor numbers increased by 8.15% in February, with 322,033 people flocking to the island, according to the National Statistics Institute survey of tourist movements.
The growth was largely supported by the German market, with a year-on-year growth of 13% in February, accounting for the majority of 137,826 people. This marked a continuation of the market’s growth, which recorded a 10.2% spike in 2024. On the other hand, UK tourists bucked the trend, with their visitor numbers falling by 7.7% compared to February last year to just 18,874 people, following a larger 30% decrease in January, and a fall in November and December 2024.
Spanish tourists accounted for the second largest number of visitors, with 95,074 people, although it reflected a fall of 2.6%.
For the Balearics as a whole, there was a 4.4% rise compared with February 2024 to 365,109.
The Balearic Government and the Council of Mallorca have been trying to grow low-season tourism in an attempt to even out the numbers throughout the year and diminish pressure on local communities during the peak of summer.
Majorca and the rest of Spain have been holding protests throughout the country for more than a year in an effort to stem tourism.
Tensions arose over issues such as overcrowding, lack of housing, sustainability, and the belief that infrastructure only caters to tourists.
Some locals are struggling to find or afford housing following investors purchasing property in large numbers in popular tourist areas to rent them out as holiday homes.