Panic in the Balearics as government rushes to calm anti-tourism fury

The Balearic Government is increasing efforts to calm tourism markets amid new overtourism actions. (Image: Getty)

The Balearic Government is rushing to convey messages of security and hospitality in the archipelago and has intensified contacts with tour operators, travel associations, and consuls to call for calm. The move comes as the regional authority attempts to counter negative interpretations of tourism on the islands.

As overtourism demonstrations gear up to take place across multiple southern European cities on June 15, authorities have complained that recent campaigns with AI images in Majorcan municipalities have been used in news reports, which are spreading confusion about Spanish policies, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. On Monday, (May 22), representatives of the tourism strategy agency (AETIB) met with British Consul, Lloyd Milen, to discuss tourism in the archipelago.

The meeting emphasised that tourists are welcome in the Balearics while also recognising that overcrowding does exist. (Image: Getty)

Here, officials emphasised that tourists are welcome in the Balearics while also recognising that overcrowding does exist because tourists tend to congregate in particular places and at certain times of the year, such as during the Easter and summer holidays.

As a result, tour operators are being asked to facilitate a transition towards a more balanced distribution of tourist arrivals throughout the year.

"It is clear we have to evolve," said AETIB director, Pere Joan Planas.

Activist groups across Spain and southern Europe are set to take part in what's being described as "an unprecedented mobilisation" on June 15. The action is expected to impact several hotspots, including the Canary Islands, the Balearics, and Barcelona on the mainland. Protester Elena Boschi said she wanted to scare visitors to bring about change. She explained: "We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation; without fear, there is no change".

An anonymous member of a protest group said that tourism is negatively impacting locals' quality of life. (Image: Getty)

A member of a protest group, who wished to remain anonymous, said that tourism is negatively impacting locals' quality of life, adding: "We are not against tourists, but what we don't welcome is a way of being in our cities and regions that turns it into a place that is no longer nice to live in for us".

Last year, the Balearic Islands welcomed 18.7 million visitors, 15.3 million of whom were international tourists. This was a record number, exceeding the 2023 figures by around 900,000.

However, the number of British tourists visiting the islands has fallen, with an overall decrease of 3.2% in 2024 and 20% in the first quarter of this year. The agency has attributed that decrease to an increase in prices, not the protests.

In the German market, meanwhile, there was a 10% increase last year, with a similar rise continuing in 2025.