Hotels on the Spanish sunshine island of Majorca have hit back at claims the sector has been flooded with a 40% spike in holiday bookings. Overtourism campaigners on the island could be threatening more action in light of the surge of interest reported in the British press.
Majorca and other islands in the Balearics saw widespread protests last year against high visitor numbers, property prices for locals and damage to the environment. And now it’s feared the war in the Middle East could be driving holidaymakers to look closer to home for a sunshine break this summer, leading to a potential stand-off with angry residents.
But according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, hotel owners on the island claim they have seen no noticeable rise in relation to the war between Iran and the US and Israel.
The publication reports María José Aguiló, the vice-president of the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation, said forecasts for visitor numbers « remain stable at this time ».
He added: « Any potential changes will depend, in any case, on the type of product and the specific behaviour of each market. »
The federation said that they expected tourist numbers for 2026 to be similar to those recorded in 2025. Last year the total number of holidaymakers heading to the island exceeded 19 million for the first time.
In neighbouring Ibiza the hoteliers federation president Pedro Marín said at present the Iran war had « no impact » on bookings, adding: « The forecast is the same as in 2025; perhaps a little better, but nowhere near a 40% increase in British tourists. »
It’s reported hotel occupancy across the islands is expected to be 80%.
There have been moves on Majorca to curb tourist numbers from cruise ships. Under a new agreement, the capital Palma will reduce the number of daily cruise ship berths from 8,500 to 7,500 between June and September. This means fewer passengers will be arriving to explore the Spanish city when it comes into effect from 2027 to 2029.
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