On their way to become The Great Resort From Europe, the Spanish tourism sector has encountered an unexpected dilemma: receives Many visitorsmany. So many in fact that he walks towards the barrier of the 100 million travelers International, but … does that translate into more money for hotels, restaurants and other businesses that live from tourism? In the hospitality they begin to rise voices that warn that no, a complaint that sounds with special strength in one of the most busy (and iconic) destinations throughout the country: Mallorca.
And that is a problem.
Accustomed to records. Talking about tourism in Spain for a long time is to make it of great figures. Even records. In 2024 the country He pulverized his brand of foreign visitors, this year aspires to overcome the barrier of one hundred million And there is studies that predict that in the medium term, by 2040, Spain will be the great ‘resort’ of the world, surpassing in an influx of tourists iconic destinations such as France, the United States or Italy. And the reality is that The data of demand that leave observatories such as the INE point in that direction.
A growing sector. The information we have is still incomplete and there is a lot of year ahead, especially if we take into account that Christmas has gained weight as Tourist active In much of Spain, but the first data suggests that in 2025 the sector is maintaining its good streak. According to the INE tables, between January and July The country’s hotels hosted 67.1 million visitors (sum of national and foreign), 1.2% more than last year, which was already a good exercise for the sector. Overnight stays have also increased.
And how is summer going? Promises. In July the flow of Spanish travelers grew by 1%, that of non -residents 2.1% and in general the hotels dispatched 1.8% more overnight that in the same month of 2024. The rates also respond well: the hotel price index grew up last month last month 5% in annual rate.
The above are data that reflect only the “hotel establishments”, so they leave other accommodations with an important weight in the sector, but serve to have an initial idea of how the campaign is evolving.
Fantastic, right? Yes. And no. INE data reflect a growth trend, but over the last weeks voices have been heard They warn that the greatest influx of tourists is not always accompanied by a greater expense in hotels, restaurants, agencies, excursions and other sectors that feed on tourism. Although in June the INE did identify a sensitive increase (+5.5%) In the total expenditure of foreign tourists, a Google search arrives to understand that the photo in July is more diffuse or, at least, it changes from one region to another. Yesterday Vigo lighthouse explained How the main city of Galicia continues to earn visitors, although these are left less money in business.
It is not something that happens only there. A few days ago We told you How in San Juan de Luz, in the French Basque Country, hoteliers are receiving a change in travelers’ habits, more and more given to make their own pícnics instead of going to eat at restaurants. In A statement released yesterday by hospitality in Spain, its president slides some data that, although confirming that the summer campaign is not being bad, it does not reach the forecasts of the industry. Businesses had their box 5% grow. And everything points that it will not be so.
“Without meeting expectations”. “It is a good summer for tourism, but without meeting the expectations we had marked and the forecast we had with the first months of the year. It is true that we have more foreign tourists, it is true that there is a very considerable volume of tourists, but there is a change of trend. The average ticket in our establishments is going down,” José Almeida reflectsresponsible for hospitality in Spain, for whom this trend is explained by several factors, such as gradualization of national tourism, the increase in the cost of life or the influence of Tourist flats.
Earrings from Mallorca. If there is a collective that is noticeable that summer is not marching as expected is that of the hoteliers of Mallorca. The Regional newspaper Last minuteBased in Palma, has published A good number of articles in which It echoes of the restlessness of the sector. In July the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca (FEHM) warned of a puncture in the tourist influx in certain areas, especially in Capdepera and Sóller, and the president of Mallorca Caeb restoration even I went one step further: “This year will close hundreds of restaurants in Mallorca.”
According to Your calculationson the island there are areas that have seen how the volume of diners collapsed a forceful 40%, which has even forced some restaurants to holiday their waiters in full high season.
WELCOME, “Diesel tourists”. They are not the only comments that are heard in one of the great tourist destinations in Spain. Tourist transport refers A 20% drop in July and August, the Balearic Islands indicate a similar decrease in hiring excursions and nightlife speaks of lower collections in northern Mallorca or even Magaluf. “In Mallorca we have diesel tourists: they walk a lot and spend little,” Ironiza Recently Pepe lying, from CURTURthe Association of Tourist Merchants and Businessmen of Mallorca.
What do the figures say? That something happens in Mallorca. Aena already gave a first clue when publishing her Traffic balance of July, which in a context of general growth wrote down a stagnation in the volume of palm passengers, with -0.1% less of traffic that during the same month last year. And now the most recent INE data on hotel occupancy corroborates it: in July the influx of travelers on the island of Mallorca fell a slight 1.22% and overnight stays 0.35%. The setback was more accentuated in Palma, while if we talked about the set of the Balearic Islands there was an increase, although less than the percentage point.
They are very small percentages and to have the general photo it is necessary to have other keys, such as the evolution of the demand in the tourist floors or the amount of tourism absorbed by the illegal accommodations, with A relevant weight On the island, but in any case the INE data is revealing. Especially in the light of the complaints of the hoteliers and that Spain continues to win tourists.
Looking for the causes. Seen all of the above, the question is obvious: why does the tourism sector warn that it falls “The Middle Ticket” If the INE shows that they are arriving in Spain more tourists than ever. To answer it, it is necessary to handle a series of keys. The main one, the double speed to which tourism has evolved in Spain in recent years. The flow of tourists arriving from other countries grows, but the reality is that the premises (the Spaniards who move between provinces or communities) paint less and less in hotels.
And that leads us to another of the trends that has marked the tourist drift of Spain after the pandemic: the increase. Raise the price of The flights. And above all go up The price of hotels. The sum of both elements leads to today many tourists (especially Spanish tourists) are to spend their summer vacations in the Balearic Islands or Canary Islands It is not so different (in terms of costs) to do it in the Caribbean or Southeast Asia. There are even British tourists who are changing the Spanish coasts for Morocco.
Is there more? Yes. In Your statement Yesterday José Almeida slides a fairly important: the growing weight of vacation rental in the sector. Throughout the last years Spain has seen how the number of floors for visitors fired and in them tourists encounter a series of “extras” that until now was difficult to get in conventional accommodations: kitchens, refrigerators, microwaves, cupboards, ovens, cafes … The result is that part of the meals they did in hotels or bars can now do them in their own airbnb.
“There is too much and it’s too full”. If we speak in particular of Mallorca, part of the tourism sector Point out another factor that would explain the puncture in demand, especially that from countries such as Germany or the United Kingdom: the ‘antituristic’ mobilizations. “These messages cannot be launched because they don’t love you to a place,” warns Rafael Roig, president of the Transport Business Federation. In recent years, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands or Catalonia have been stages of marches that warn of the effects of tourist massification and its impact on housing or the environment. Some, like 2024 protests in Barcelona, with a International impact.
The reality is that the press of other areas of Europe not only echoes the mobilizations against mass tourism. Also He does it of the saturation of the destinations. Recently Last minute published a wide report in which he analyzed articles of German, French, British or Nordic newspapers, some of great roll, who warn of the degradation of experience in Mallorca.
“13.5 million tourists, five million Germans, on an island with less than one million inhabitants. Rentals, food, nature … everything suffers. There is simply too much and is too full”, collected not long ago an article of Der Spiegelone of the main publications of Europe.
Images | Deyvis Tejada (Flickr), Kyle Taylor (Flickr) and INE
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