Balearic Islands ‘panic’ as tourism numbers continue to fall | World | News

After months of protests, Brits seem to be turning their backs on the Balearic Islands as  numbers continue to fall.

The latest monthly tourism figures show a 2.4 percent increase in Balearic  tourist numbers in September – to 2,495,870 from 2,437,407 in September 2023.

Despite this increase, two of the three main markets – the UK and Spain – both registered decreases for the third month in a row.

The British market registered a 8.1 percent fall to 530,570, while the Spanish market dropped 7.4 percent to 348,184.

It is unknown whether the decrease in UK tourism numbers is due to the anti-mass tourism protests that have plagued the Balearics over the past months.

In September, the Swiss market slumped by 55.3 percent to 32,248 and the Nordic countries registered a fall of just under one per cent to 91,823.

This comes just days after anti-tourism campaigners in Majorca warned that “this is just the beginning” and that more demonstrations will be held in the future.

Margalida Ramis of the environmentalist group GOB, a key part of the Less Tourism More Life campaign group, previously said: “The truth is that we no longer need to campaign to raise people’s awareness, but rather to take immediate and long-term measures.

“We have zero confidence in the roundtable for the pact as we can already see in which way it is heading.”

However, the Balearics are being warned over what they wish for with tourism accounting for 45 percent of its GDP.

One local in Majorca said: “We need it [tourism]. I work at the reception, I love guests. I love England too. And we are very happy that they are coming here […] the tourists, we are living off them. We have to take care of them!”

Last month, Magaluf found itself in a ‘crisis’ as its economy plunged due to restaurants being reportedly left “half empty.”

Magaluf’s economy found itself in a dire spot after the Majorcan hotspot reported having empty tables outside its usually busy nightspots. 

A bar owner claimed that the anti-tourist protesters’ “wishes had been granted” following a series of anti-tourism protests this summer.