UK holidaymakers in the Balearics are scrambling to exit the islands and cancel their holiday’s. Statistics indicate that out of all the tourism figures in 2024, it was UK tourism to Majorca and Menorca that suffered the most significant drop – following a year of protests against overtourism.
The final count of 2024’s tourist numbers was released on Monday, revealing a total for the Balearics of 18,735,675. Of these, there were 15,311,569 foreign tourists, with Spain registering 3,424,105, as reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
British holidaymakers were left on edge last month after disturbing “kill a tourist” graffiti emerged. It comes amid protests all over Spain, making tourists feel ‘unwelcome’.
It was another record-breaking year in terms of tourist numbers, surpassing 2023 by approximately 900,000. The highest percentage, 18.7 equating to 1,829,242, was attributed to ‘other European countries’.
France saw an increase of 14.8 per cent to 1,122,661, while Germany experienced a rise of 9.2 per cent to 5,029,755, marking the first time that five million has been surpassed. Both Spain and the UK recorded decreases.
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Spain’s decrease was marginal – minus 0.2 per cent, according to the island newspaper – while the UK experienced the most significant drop among the four markets that declined in 2024. This was down by three per cent to 3,575,603, reports Birmingham Live.
Reacting to the statistics, one Briton commented: “Germans at the top. No surprises there. If “British Bars” want to stay in business it may be a good idea to start learning some languages. Spanish and German would be a good start.”
However, another defended the island, retorting: “Most, if not all of the successful, and I repeat successful “British Bars” ( as well as the “Irish” ones) are owned and operated by Spanish nationals, either islanders or mainlanders.”
” Surely you, who claim to have lived in Majorca for so many years should know this by now. I think I remember reading here that you had an office in Magaluf, so you must have been to one or two and seen this with your own eyes. No mine hosts from Kent or Lancashire there.”
“Locals owned the premises but Brits had the traspasos. In Magaluf in the 2000’s I used to eat at Tom Browns, and the bar below our office was British till they did a runner, though true by then I was past enjoying much of the night life,” added a third.
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