Tourists in Playa de Palma

Tourists in Playa de Palma. | Pilar Pellicer

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma03/08/2019 04:01
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Figures from the Frontur survey of foreign tourist movement show that in June there was a 2.6% decrease in the number of tourists who came to the Balearics. This followed a 0.4% drop in May. Meanwhile, the total number of overnight stays declined by 1.8% in June, a far slower figure than the 8.1% in May.

Despite these decreases, there was a 1.9% increase in foreign tourism over the first six months of the year - 5,540,205. The summer trend, however, is downward. The government recognises this and attributes the drop to the recovery of competitor destinations. The tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, said in a recent interview with the Bulletin that it was “logical” that other destinations would recover and so have an impact on what had been some “extraordinary” years in terms of elevated tourist numbers in the Balearics.

The islands’ hoteliers are concerned by levels of occupancy. These are, in general, down by three per cent, and have therefore provoked some discounting. However, while percentages have been mentioned regarding offers and occupancy for high summer, a proper assessment can’t be made until official figures, such as Frontur’s, are released.

In terms of markets, Germany regained its number one position in June. German tourists represented 31.6% of all foreign tourists, with the UK share at 29.9%. The UK market had climbed above the German in May - 31.7% versus 31.2%. But there is now evidence that German tourism, which has been wobbling, is recovering.