Need to know
The proposal could see limits introduced on the number of tourists visiting the Balearic Islands each year, to tackle issues such as a lack of affordable housing for locals
Majorca has been at the heart of overtourism protests(Image: Getty)
Need to know: Balearic Islands could cap tourist numbers under radical proposal
- The Balearic Islands could consider a cap on tourist numbers as the holiday spots’ opposition party have revealed proposals to combat overtourism affecting the likes of Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
- The Partit Socialista de les Illes Balears (PSOE) will present a proposal on February 17 calling for a maximum of 17.8 million visitors annually. This matches 2023 figures, but visitor numbers have since risen to 18.7 million in 2024 and topped 19 million in 2025.
- Iago Negueruela, the former minister behind the proposal, previously suggested an even lower cap of 16.5 million visitors – a figure that “is a maximum that should not be exceeded but should tend to decrease”. The plans would also introduce tighter controls on illegal accommodation.
- Majorca remains the busiest destination, welcoming 13.4 million tourists in 2024, including 3.58 million Brits. The total population across all islands is just over 1.2 million, including more than 18,000 British expats.
- Overtourism has sparked major protests, with 5,000 residents taking to Majorca’s streets in June 2025 over issues like unaffordable housing. Previous demonstrations saw locals carrying signs reading “Mallorca not for sale”.
- However, hospitality bosses warn of declining restaurant customers and a “disastrous January” start to the year. Miguel Pérez-Marsá from the Balearic Association of Leisure and Entertainment said: “The tourists we’re interested in are being driven away; they don’t feel welcome and are going to other destinations.”
- There are no details yet on how any cap would be enforced or when it might take effect, should proposals go ahead to the next stages of planning.
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