My perception is that you need help, and quickly. In the meantime, try and stay out of the sun. By the way it’s Dreamt

Jules OI wouldn't worry too much. Most Europeans, aside from an occasional snippet in the paper or on the evening news, have never heard of Magaluf wouldn't be able to point out Magaluf on a Mallorca map. And don't really care either, because it's not a place they'd go on their Mallorca holiday anyway. But those few that that do know of it also know it as overwhelmingly British, and perceive it as "wild and crazy". As I mentioned previously, the anti-foreigner rhetoric coming out of Britain in past years is another inhibitor for them. As a "wild and crazy" place that's overwhelmingly British, naturally they'd question whether they'd be welcomed or treated as unwanted outsiders. Whether that's true in practice or not, it's the perception. In other words, the majority of the bad reputation is amongst Brits themselves, since nobody else really cares. Yet Europeans do know Mallorca quite well, since they're by far the most dominant tourists here. They just don't know much about Magaluf. Anecdotally, I still have a few relatives in England ...and Wales of course. I'm good with all of them, but a few seem to treat me like some sort of foreign yob (I do speak several "foreign" languages, which is a telltale sign right there), but mostly because I live in Mallorca, which means I live in Magaluf. So naturally, I sit on the beach sipping gin tonic all day long and most likely shagging every skirt near me at night (I reckon that's because that's what they would likely do in same situation). Nothing even close, but that's the perception. For some. They seem to have sympathy for my wife though, for putting her through all that. Oddly, after 30 years, she's still completely oblivious to any of that. Mainly because it's all just a fantasy of a few of my relatives, dreampt up by what they read in the express, which accounts for most of their knowledge of anything outside of England.

"Dark shadow" cast over Mallorca as a whole. Really? 2022 saw Mallorca's tourist numbers virtually equal pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Mallorca tourism as a whole has grown 75% in the past twenty years. And Palma is Spain's third busiest airport - after Barcelona and Ibiza. It doesn't appear that the "dark shadow" you describe is having much impact. Just because you're offended, it doesn't mean that international visitors are particularly bothered.

My earlier remarks were more to do with the dark shadow that Magaluf casts over itself and Mallorca as a whole. Anyone over 30 has an impression of Magaluf as being a resort where groups of men (in the main) and women go to drink, get drunk and become feral and anti-social to the environment around them. That's Magaluf's worldwide reputation and it's undeniable. Where the resort goes from here is the big question.

Depends what you mean by good business. If you are referring to making money, Magaluf has been a huge success, not only for business owners and hoteliers, but also for the thousands who work in them. I challenge you to name another place on the island that has done the same thing with the same amount of land. And the locals prefer this sort of tourism. They spend most of the day in bed, spend more per capita outside the hotel than the average tourist, and they stay local, leaving the rest of island’s roads and beaches free for the rest of us to enjoy.

Jules OYes, we agree that Magaluf has a bad reputation. You were making a business case for attracting youth tourism. The point I was making is that deliberately attracting the 18-20's crowd is not good business. Clearly it has many drawbacks, including development of a bad reputation, which takes years and lots of investment to overcome. And because that segment is economically limited in resources, maintaining a low star profile to accommodate it also limits it's investment potential. In the case of Magaluf, it's already underway, as you have pointed out, though it will take years to establish. And frankly, I'm obviously not alone in the belief that the potential of Magaluf is far greater than what it has been in the past. But it needs to grow up. And it will, because it's just good business.

@Morgan, I too have been involved in tourism in the Balearics for the past 30 years, and you are following a common tendency when describing Magaluf. Namely, quoting the worst case examples and citing them as the 'norm'. And before you know it, these worst case examples become the commonly-held perception of what is 'normal'. Yes, occasionally the young might over-occupy villas and hotel rooms. And yes, occasionally the young might get drunk and misbehave. However, this is the exception rather than the rule, and you need to be called out for saying otherwise. Nobody is suggesting that such misbehaviour should be tolerated or accepted. But nor should it be sensationalised. That's what gives Magaluf (and Mallorca in general) a bad reputation. Far more so than the behaviour itself.

Jules OAlso Jules, Magaluf isn't and never has been a "European epicentre". Until recently, you could ask any European if they've ever been to Magaluf, and you'd get a blank stare. Never heard of it. The only nationality that's know Magaluf was Brits (and locals on the island) . But that's changing. In the past few years, European media has been reporting some of the nastier aspects of Magaluf, and so amongst many Europeans, there's a certain connotation associated with it. In addition to many public exhibitions of British distaste for "foreigners" in politics and social media, the connotation hasn't been particularly positive. Europeans don't want to go where they may be made to feel unwanted, so that's another perceptionary hurdle to overcome, whether it actually exists in practice or not. Yet in an attempt to reset the perception and attract a different tourist profile, Melia and others have shifted marketing toward continental Europe. In German media, for example, it's marketed as "Calvia Beach". Not just the hotel, but the entire resort (and the ads are very classy and upscale). So now we're seeing a few more Europeans showing up there. Mostly in the higher end accommodation, obviously. But it will take time to change perception and attract the masses.

Jules OI have to whole heatedly agree with you on at least one of your points, but I have to disagree with others. First, I'm in the tourism business, and have been for a long time. You seem to be making a business case why the youth market is important. So, let's look at it from a business point of view. These are your arguments: 1. Much higher per-capita "youth" holiday spending than the family market brings to the local economy. Not in my experience. The 18-25 set hasn't become experienced or stable enough financially to spend like adults do. Unless it's mummy or daddy's money, but that's the exception rather than the rule. The young set tends to go for the least expensive thrill. 5,6, maybe 10 kids will pool their money to have a crackin' do in Mallorca or wherever they fancy. They'll do anything to get the most out of it for as little money as possible. Including booking a room for 2 and packing 6 or 8 into the room. Pub crawl tickets are (were) a godsend. Oh, shucks. No pub crawls? One of our villas sleeps 6, and early on in our journey in this business, we'd often get booked for 4 pax and find as many as 14 on site. Sleeping on anything - couches, chairs, sun loungers, the floor, whatever. This happens in hotels very often. They have different ways of dealing with it, but in the end, surely you can appreciate the mess that results from packing 12 (likely wildly drunk) kids into a hotel room. And they don't have the money to pay for the damages. Not good business. Anyone who's been in tourism for more than a week knows very well that the 18-25's are the single highest risk profile in tourism. It's hardly a secret. But you need to be on that side of the fence to see that grass. 2. Engenders love for a location (i.e. Mallorca), which frequently lasts a lifetime. A lifetime of re-visits to the island. No, not really. It engenders love for the way it was at that time (as you can see here). It's worth pointing out that Magaluf is hardly representative of Mallorca. About the only thing that Magaluf has in common with Mallorca is that it's a unique dot on the Southwest coast. Otherwise, it's not Mallorca. 3. Extends the season, as most families only travel during the limited period of the school holidays. The resorts all but shut down around November through March. The reason for this is because the beach is no longer attractive. There is no beach holiday in January. The kids aren't coming either. But there's a completely different tourist profile that quietly (and increasingly) invades the island in those months. And spends lots of money. And they're not coming for a beach holiday. Do you know who they are? These are the tourists "extending the season", not the kids. "Melia, Nikki Beach, Wave house, and the many other businesses at the upmarket western end of the resort are beginning to transform the area (and perceptions)". Absolutely. And that's what the controversy is all about. People don't like change. They fear it. But staying stagnant will only result in being left behind. I think it's clear to all (well, most) stakeholders in Magaluf, that stagnation simply isn't an option. That change is well under way, like it or not. The future is where it's headed. Not the past. And those living in the past will just have to find somewhere else that's been left behind. Kicking and screaming perhaps, but it's inevitable, because it's just good business, sitting there waiting to be had. And those businesses you mention above can see that clearly. It's not their first rodeo.

I live in Magaluf. Before I lived here I visited many times from the late 1960s onwards. The town went rapidly downhill in the 1980s and 1990s, reaching a low in the first decade of the new century. Things have been improving over the last few years, with better quality restaurants opening on the beachfront and some good quality shops opening around the hotels. The loss of the 'party boats' with the obscene chants of their boozed up 18-30 clients has resulted in a much more family friendly environment along the beach and the beach side businesses. However, a walk along the streets any time after 10pm in June, July or Aug accentuates how much more needs to change.