September saves the summer in the Balearics

Palma.—After months of a decline in the number of foreign visitors, in September, the Balearics was the second most popular destination for overseas visitors inSpain.
A total of 10.1 million holiday makers came to the region during the first nine months of this year,  2.3 percent more than last year.
In September, a total of  1.956.200 tourists came to the Balearics and 740.432 were Spanish nationals, 26  percent more than in September last year which shows that the domestic market is recovering.
A source for the Ministry for Tourism said yesterday that September “helped to consolidate growth in the Balearic tourism market” with only Catalonia out stripping the region with 13.4 million visitors. But, the summer season as a whole in the Balearics, did not live up to its expectations and certain UK tour operators warned back in the Spring that, while mainland Spain was due for a bumper season, the Balearics,  would struggle - and it has.
Throughout the summer, package holiday sales to the Balearics, in particular to Majorca, remained flat, if not down at times, in comparison  to last year and this is an issue which is going to be high on the agenda at the World Travel Market in London early next month.
Looking at the global  picture, Spain welcomed 52.4 million foreign visitors during the first nine months of this year.