Holiday hotspot loved by Brits in Spain about to be flooded by American tourists

A Spanish holiday hotspot loved by Brits is experiencing a surge in tourists from America. More US visitors than ever before are predicted to flock to Majorca this summer in what is already predicted to be a record-breaking year for the island, much to the dismay of anti-tourism campaigners.

America’s love affair with Majorca is not a new thing, with 278,640 US travellers arriving in 2024. This represents a significant 20.3% increase compared to the previous year. The US is also Palma's fastest-growing source market for visitors, United Airlines has been operating summer service to Majorca from Newark since 2022, further boosting tourism to the island.

This year airline demand forecasts are predicting an eyewatering 40% growth compared to the same months last year.

Pedro Homar, the director general of Visit Palma, called Palma "a quite unique destination" to Americans when visiting the island. 

According to the international consultancy Mabrian, which specialises in Big Data and tourism trends and supplies information to the regional government (Govern), the US is one of the fastest-growing emerging markets this year.

The US is the eleventh-largest source market in terms of arrivals, and the leading non-European one. 

US tourists flocking to Majorca are not shy in spending their cash, ranking sixth in terms of total tourist expenditure - £581,860m  (€694m) in 2024. 

This makes it the most profitable source market in terms of spend per visitor to Majorca.

Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Tourism Javier Bonet belives that the US market offers “one of the best profiles” regarding spending. 

Palma is a popular wedding destination, but also has outdoor tourism opportunities, including for golf and ocean-based activities, making it "extremely attractive for American travel," said Magi Castelltort, the New York director of TourSpain, which promotes tourism to the country. 

Every year more than 2.3 million Brits enjoy holidaying on Majorca, which accounts for around 26% of the total tourist traffic. 

Last year saw the largest-ever number of holidaymakers arrive in Majorca, with the island's central airport in Palma handling over 33 million passengers - a 7% increase from 2023, according to The Telegraph.