Restaurateurs have expressed fears about flailing companies following a yr of anti-tourism protests. Worried holidaymakers who have visited Majorca for years said shopkeepers and restaurant house owners voiced considerations about a lack of vacationers and declining revenues on their most latest journey this yr.
In a letter to Majorca Daily Bulletin, the pensioner holidaymakers wrote: “As we have been coming here for a number of years and have become friendly with bar owners, shopkeepers and restaurant owners. We were quite shocked as they were all saying the same thing, ‘Where have all the tourists gone?’”
One shopkeeper reportedly said their business was a third down on last yr’s takings, and he was involved about the future if it did not decide up.
The author added: “If people want to demonstrate against overtourism by telling tourists to go home and squirt people with water, then they will kill the golden goose and put more people out of work.”
It contrasts with official figures released on August 1, which showed the Balearic Islands were the top tourist destination in Spain in June, accounting for 23.9% of the total. In June 2025, there were 2.26 million visitors, a 3% increase.
However, during the low season, the number of UK tourists dropped. In February, Brits were down 7.7% to 18,874 tourists. The Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that UK tourism also decreased in November and December 2024.
The island was reliant on Germany’s contribution in February, which was 137,826, an increase of almost 13% year over year.
Activist groups have held protests throughout Spain over the past year due to spiralling living costs, overwhelmed infrastructure, and a housing crisis. In some cases, tourists have been jeered at and sprayed with water while relaxing on holiday.
The Balearic Islands government proposed new “tourism containment measures” to regulate rental lodging on 7 March.
In high season, the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) is set to rise from €4 (£3.36) to a most of €6 (£5) per particular person, per night time.
Tourists will also no longer be allowed to drive through Soller’s historic centre after a residents-only visitors zone was proposed in March.
There is also a momentary ban on new vacation rental licenses in Majorca to help curb the quantity of flats being bought as vacation lets and increase the stock accessible for locals.
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