"In the scorching heat, a long line of rental cars stretching for kilometers struggles up a winding road. On this late summer morning, an army of vacationers heads for Valldemossa. The picturesque mountain village is one of the most popular destinations on the Spanish island of Mallorca, and, as in years past, traffic jams on the narrow mountain road are once again a daily occurrence."
"By late July, almost 11 million people had spent their holidays in the archipelago, which is made up of Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. That's a slight increase relative to the same period last year. For the whole of 2024, the figure was 18.7 million. In 2025, that number is set to rise to more than 19 million or about one in five of all international visitors to Spain."
"Although the figures may appear promising on the surface, Mallorca's tourism industry feels it has little to celebrate. Restaurateurs, retailers and operators of tourist attractions all say their sales figures are significantly down. Fewer Germans travelling to Mallorca Ironically, they're most worried about the lack of German tourists, whose numbers have fallen dramatically this summer compared to last year, by more than 8% in July alone."
Traffic congestion on narrow mountain roads in Mallorca, especially near Valldemossa, repeatedly traps rental cars, holidaymakers and commuter buses, prompting frustration among locals and visitors. The Balearic Islands recorded almost 11 million visitors by late July and reached 18.7 million for 2024, with projections above 19 million for 2025, accounting for about one in five international visitors to Spain. Local opposition and protests against mass tourism have grown. Despite rising visitor counts, sales for restaurants, retailers and attractions have fallen. Tourism operators attribute part of the downturn to a sharp drop in German visitors, with July numbers down over 8% year-on-year.
Read at www.dw.com
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