People on a Mediterranean island whose authorities have recently made a desperate plea for strict “limits” on tourism, adding that they would prefer American tourists rather than “drunk Brits”. Residents in Mallorca, Spain, have taken to the streets and beaches several times this summer to criticise the current number of visitors.
An article from the Wall Street Journal also pointed out how “Mallorca’s leaders are testing a different solution: a rebrand. The island wants to shed its reputation as a hot spot for British bachelor parties and thrifty package-holidayers and transform into a luxury destination for high-rolling tourists like Americans”.
The US newspaper quoted Pedro Homar, managing director of Palma’s tourism board, saying: “The change of model is quality over quantity. We need to have fewer tourists who spend more.”
Mr Homar also added that Mallorca should attract a new type of tourist: “wealthier, quieter, interested in travelling outside the peak summer season. And above all: American.”
They are not rowdy at all. They travel with the idea of understanding the culture, mingling with the locals, buying local arts and crafts. We are no longer appealing to tourists in the U.K. [or] Germany, whose main motivation is partying and drinking,” he said.
The WSJ also said: “American tourists in Spain spend more than any other nationality: about $410 a day in July, compared with $240 by Germans and $260 by British travellers, according to government data.” According to the newspaper, Germans and Brits still make up about half of Mallorca’s tourists, but American visits have surged by 60% this year through June.
Meanwhile, Marga Prohens, President of the Balearic government, has made a desperate plea for strict “limits” on tourism across the islands, warning that the region needs to focus on “more value” and “less volume.”
“We can’t keep measuring the success of tourist seasons by the number of tourists coming each year; we need to talk about limits and manage them,” Ms Prohens urged.
Ms Prohens stressed that the primary challenge facing Majorca and its sister islands is striking a balance between economic success and local sustainability, reiterating that future growth must prioritise quality over quantity.
“This is the way,” she emphasised, calling for a “slow and steady” approach that evaluates success through non-numerical factors rather than raw tourist counts.
