The peak season in the Balearic Islands recorded a significant increase in spending compared to last year, but also in the number of visitors, in a context where the islands are trying to limit growth in the former. Or at least that’s what the roadmap established by the Balearic public authorities and much of the industry calls for: growing in value rather than in volume.
August, however, saw upward trends in both areas: a 2.3% increase in visitor arrivals and double that in spending, at 4.6%. As for the year-to-date figures, the balance tilts even more in favor of revenue: 1.89 percent more arrivals and 5.4 percent more spending, nearly triple the rate. This balance of forces lends weight to the regional government’s position, but it also shows that growth in volume is by no means stopping.
Thus, a total of 14.3 million tourists visited the Islands between January and August, including both international visitors and those from the rest of Spain. Total spending during the same period amounted to just over 18.29 million euros. As for August specifically, the United Kingdom took the lead and became the market with the highest number of travelers, relegating Germany—historically the main source market for the Balearic Islands—to second place.
British visitors experienced, by far, the most pronounced year-on-year growth: more than 10 percent. In the first eight months, British tourism actually grew by 6.7 percent, while German tourism contracted by 1 percent, in line with last year’s trend.
In addition, the main European markets seemed to have remained contained at that point in the summer. This trend contrasts with the growth observed in secondary markets across the continent and the rest of the world, starting with American markets such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil, and Asian markets such as those in the Near and Middle East.
The explanations given by the sector – including German tour operators, travel agents in the destination, and organizations like Turespaña – focus on the decrease in the purchasing power of German tourists, as they have seen that the economic recession in their country coincides with a significant increase in the tourist offering in the Balearic Islands, starting with transportation and accommodation.
As a result, although Germans are not giving up on vacationing abroad, they are opting to shorten the length of their stays (a widespread trend across all markets) or choosing more affordable destinations, mainly the traditional competitors of the Balearic Islands in the eastern Mediterranean, such as Greece, Croatia, Turkey or Egypt.
Looking at international tourism as a whole, no other autonomous community registered more visitor arrivals in August than the Balearic Islands: 2.5 million, ahead of Catalonia (2.3 million), Andalusia (2 million), and the Valencian Community (1.7 million). More than six out of ten of these tourists organized their trip independently, without booking a tour package. In addition, nearly a quarter of international tourist spending in Spain was concentrated in the Balearic Islands.
