The Balearic Islands have lengthy been a favorite with Brits, however points round overtourism will see radical plans offered to parliament
Majorca has been on the coronary heart of overtourism protests (Picture: Getty)
The Balearic Islands, which embody the vacation hotspots of Majorca, Ibiza, and Menorca, may quickly be capping the variety of yearly guests in a bit to sort out overtourism.
The islands’ opposition get together Partit Socialista de les Illes Balears (PSOE) is predicted to current a proposal on February 17) in parliament, asking for a most annual restrict on vacationer numbers. PSOE member Iago Negueruela, previously the minister of labor, commerce and trade for the Balearics, is about to name for a restrict of 17.8 million vacationers a 12 months – this was the variety of guests throughout the islands in 2023.
Majorca is especially well-liked with Brits (Picture: Getty)
In 2024, the islands noticed customer numbers hit 18.7 million and customer numbers topped 19 million for the primary time in 2025. The full inhabitants for the islands is simply over 1.2 million, together with simply over 18,000 British expats.
Beforehand, Iago Negueruela has mentioned that the restrict ought to be 16.5 million guests, a quantity that “is a most that shouldn’t be exceeded however ought to are likely to lower”. Underneath the proposed plans, PSOE would additionally work with every island’s councils to find out an appropriate cap on the variety of vacationers per island, and tighter controls on unlawful lodging.
In line with Majorca Day by day Information, the movement has been seen as a ‘political manoeuvre’, and speculated that the ruling Folks’s Get together (PP) will seemingly level out that below a PSOE coalition get together, there was an enormous enhance in lodging locations throughout the islands.
Up to now, there’s no phrase on the plan’s practicalities and if permitted, how the island’s authorities would implement the cap or when it might come into pressure. PSOE are but to touch upon what number of guests every island may doubtlessly be assigned. Majorca is the busiest of the islands, welcoming 13.4 million vacationers in 2024, together with 3.58 million Brits, though nearly all of vacationers are from Germany.
Overtourism has lengthy been a problem within the Balearics, and in recent times numerous protests have taken place throughout the islands Round. 5,000 residents took to the streets in Majorca in June 2025 to complain about points attributable to overcrowding reminiscent of an absence of inexpensive housing for locals. Earlier protests have seen locals waving indicators with slogans reminiscent of “Mallorca not on the market”.
Anti-tourism protests happened on the streets of Palma, Majorca (Picture: Getty)
Nevertheless, earlier this month, hospitality chiefs sounded the alarm over a drop in restaurant buyer quantity throughout the islands, which was partially blamed on the rising price of dwelling. President of the CAEB Eating places Affiliation,Juanmi Ferrer, mentioned that the 12 months had began with a “disastrous January” and predicted it might be “like final 12 months, or at most a bit worse”.
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Final summer time, the chairman of the Balearic Affiliation of Leisure and Leisure (ABONE), Miguel Pérez‐Marsá, mentioned: “The vacationers we’re fascinated with are being pushed away; they do not really feel welcome and are going to different locations.” He made the feedback amid experiences that well-liked resorts had been “utterly lifeless” in the course of the summer time season.
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