Mallorca holiday paradise vanishing for some German tourists

Not far from the Mallorca capital's most upmarket promenade, es Born, Sascha Gienke and Nicole Siebenbrodt, from Hamburg, enjoy a stroll. ‘I've been coming to the island on holiday regularly for twelve years now, and the prices have risen dramatically during this time. We have heard that they want to combat alcohol tourism. This, in turn, could explain why so many luxury restaurants have opened and established themselves here,’ explains Gienke. His partner adds: ‘Not only has food become much more expensive in recent years, but also real estate prices have risen. We have always considered buying a house here in the future, but it would be very difficult at current prices."

A few metres away in Jaume III was Nun Pothast, who had travelled from Münster. ‘Yes, a lot has changed, the city has become, in my opinion, more fast-paced and hectic,’ she says. ‘There used to be a lot more family businesses and they seem to have disappeared. Instead, there are individual owners of chain restaurants running several restaurants under one name. I can't judge whether this development is a good thing,’ she sums up. For Monja Pothast, the Mallorcans are still friendly, especially when she tries to speak their language. ‘I have experienced this first-hand, even with my poor knowledge of Spanish grammar,’ the tourist concludes.

Horst and Anke Regensburger travelled to the island from Eichstätt to relax on the island for a few days. The couple from Upper Bavaria says: ‘We can't gauge how the island is developing, as this is only our third visit to Mallorca. Our first contact with the island was in 2023. However, we notice that everything here is much calmer, slower and less hectic than in Germany,’ he says. The two Germans explained that they always prefer to come in February or March. ‘There is not a lot of movement at this time of the year, which we find pleasant. This year we are in Cala Rajada, which is completely different from Peguera, where we were in 2024 and which is fully German-owned,’ they say.

With a bicycle helmet on his head and a training jersey, Felix Jeckl from Kaiserslautern was riding through the streets of Palma. During a short break, he found a few minutes to chat with the Mallorca Magazin reporter. ‘The prices have gone up a bit over time. But as a cyclist who trains in the Serra de Tramuntana, I have noticed, in particular, that the behaviour of drivers has worsened. In concrete terms, this means that there is less tolerance, acceptance and consideration for cyclists,’ says the amateur athlete.

Syliva Klaas travelled to the sunny island from Luxembourg and analyses: ‘I have been living part-time on Mallorca for 30 years and have a holiday home here. The island has developed in a very positive way. At the same time, it has also undergone some less positive changes. Prices have risen considerably, but compared to Luxembourg, eating out or shopping is still cheaper,’ the tourist argues. ‘The situation on the real estate market is alarming and problematic. Many properties are being bought by wealthy foreigners, and locals are practically forced to live on the streets. However, during my visits, I still find the Spanish population very friendly and open,’ she explains.

Carsten Golombek, from Hamburg, was also strolling along the shopping street Avenida Jaime III, window-shopping in the luxury shops, when MM's reporter caught up with him. ‘I've been coming to the island about 14 times a year for some time now and many things have changed drastically. I notice that the budget hotels in Playa de Palma and Arenal are disappearing, and there are almost only luxury hotels left,’ said the Hanseatic.

Silvia and Arnold Hugo-Westendorf came to the island from Dinklage in Lower Saxony. The couple, who travel to the island two or three times a year, commented: ‘We always used to go on holiday to Playa de Palma and we noticed that the Ballermann wall had suddenly disappeared. It's a real shame. We would often sit on it and just watch the sunset’. Despite the bad weather during this year's holiday, the couple tried to make the most of their time on the island. We hoped the sun would come out more often. But as there were a few rainy days, we changed our plans. Instead of spending most of the time in Ballermann, we rented a car and explored smaller bays. We also visited Alcúdia, which we did not know.

Not far from the popular Bar Bosch in the heart of the old town, two British women were strolling around: Janine Badger from Manchester and Carolyn Marston from Brighton. To the pleasant surprise of the MM reporter, the women answered his questions in almost perfect German, saying: ‘We are not tourists, but residents. This is not without complications, as Britain is not part of the Schengen area’. In the eyes of the two women, the island has changed a lot.

Prices have skyrocketed and, for the last two years or so, people seem much more withdrawn and less friendly. Friends and acquaintances from England no longer want to visit. Not out of fear, but because they feel uncomfortable and unwelcome on the island. The English women noted that there are regional differences in the friendliness and openness of the locals. Unfortunately, I no longer have good news from Palmanova or Magaluf. However, we both live in Pollença, where the situation is completely different and the residents are still very welcoming.