Tourists from UK and Germany abandon Majorca - where they're going instead

Majorca has long been a popular tourist spot for holidaymakers from across Europe. However, the resort saw a decline in visitor numbers this summer, with tourists opting for others destinations instead.

There was an overall drop of 0.8% in visitor numbers to Majorca this July compared to last year. Both of the main markets, tourists from Germany and the UK, also tumbled. The number of German visitors was down by 8.6% while the amount of British holidaymakers fell by 2.2%.

As reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, this made July the third month in a row where German tourism had dropped in Majorca. UK tourism increased in May but then dropped again in June and July.

However, both Menorca and Ibiza became more popular among tourists, with a 15% and 10.7% rise, respectively. This gave the Balearic Islands an overall increase of 3.4% in July and could be where the Germans are now jetting off to.

Meanwhile, the number of Spanish, French and Italian visitors to Majorca increased in July. Italy's growth was 23% but the number of tourists was still quite low at 52,170 compared to 575,455 German visitors and 334,913 British holidaymakers.

Majorca attracts a huge proportion of German tourists every year, with Peguera, located west of Palma, dubbed "Germany on Sea". However, the number of German visitors has dropped this summer due to increasing prices.

Turespaña, Spain's tourism institute, noted a decrease in German bookings for Majorca ahead of this summer. The decline was far more noticeable than other parts of Spain.

The institute said: "German demand appears to have reached its limit in terms of price sensitivity after two years of accepting substantial increases in package deals and flights, hotel rooms, car rentals, and other products and services.

"Although demand, in terms of volume, will remain significant, it is more sensitive to price trends."

Recent anti-tourism protests across Majorca have also had a negative impact on tourism numbers. Residents are demanding limits on mass tourism to address issues such as rising rent costs and housing shortages.