German tourists continue to shun Majorca but still remain the largest tourism market, figures show. The holiday island welcomed more than two million tourists in August compared with over three million for the whole of the Balearic Islands.
Domestic tourism in Majorca fell 2.5% while foreign visitor numbers increased 3.5%. Britain and Germany make up two of the island’s main overseas markets. but while there a 0.7% increase in UK tourists, German tourism decreased by 4% in August.
The figures published in Majorca Daily Bulletin show Germany remains Majorca’s largest market, with 583,107 tourists travelling from the country.
Summer tourism appears to have held up in Majorca, according to the same outlet, despite negative headlines about local protests and moves to combat overtourism such as tighter controls on booze and party boats.
Overall, Spain received 11.3 million international visitors in August, according to figures reported by Euronews citing Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).
The number represents a 2.9% increase on the same month last year and comes hot on the heels of a record-breaking July when 11 million foreigners arrived.
July and August saw 22.3 million tourists head to Spain, up from last year’s 21.8 million for the same period.
INE said nearly 66.8 million international tourists visited the country in the first eight months of this year.
This is despite moves by national and local governments in Spain to address concerns of tourism’s impact on housing and services.
Barcelona wants to phase out short-term holiday lets by 2028. The Spanish government announced in September that 53,000 flats previously used as tourist accommodations had been removed from a register and converted into permanent rentals.
The trade publication Travel and Tour World reports that a shift in travel habits could ease pressures, as visitors increasingly travel to Spain in autumn and spring.
It says travellers are opting for a “quieter” and “more relaxed” experience outside the summer rush.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
