Mallorca tourist numbers drop following overtourism protests
The number of visitors from abroad choosing to travel to Mallorca has dropped significantly after widespread protests from the island’s locals against mass tourism.
Evidence reported in the Majorca Daily Bulletin said that the hotel, hospitality, and transport sectors on the island have witnessed a decrease in the number of tourists flocking to the island on holiday.
This aligns with a general drop in tourists travelling from both the UK and Germany following protests that took place last year in Mallorca over the volume of holidaymakers over-populating the destination.
However, with numbers having dropped as much as 40% for the year so far, according to hospitality industry workers, officials are warning that the decline could now pose serious risks to the island’s overall economy.
This has led to the Restaurants Association in Mallorca issuing a statement explaining that a substantial number of hospitality businesses could be forced to close before the end of the year due to the downturn in numbers, which is particularly worrying during the peak summer season.
Furthermore, according to the outlet, an even more concerning move has seen an increasing number of hospitality staff being granted holiday leave throughout this period, which would usually never be allowed due to the huge volumes of tourists visiting the island and its many restaurants.
In addition to hospitality, sector bosses have also reported a sharp decrease in the number of visitors using Mallorca’s public transport and booking excursions to popular tourist spots such as Valldemossa, Palma, and Port de Soller.
It comes as a result of the mass protests that have taken place across the Balearic islands in the past number of years. A local resident explained in 2023 that action was needed, stating: “From the disappearance of local culture, the increasing cost of living, the impossibility to live here, and the worsening of public services, many tourists understand this because they are aware of what it means in their home places.”
