When Israel and the US began the Iran war, last February 28, the whole world shuddered, but in Mallorca the shiver had a particular tone: “Will this affect the tourist season?”, was the question that the businessmen of the tourist sector and their servants, also known as elected rulers, were anxiously asking themselves. And many ordinary citizens, pure and simple taxpayers, were asking themselves the same question, because they have internalized an ancestral fear similar to that of the small Gallic village in the Asterix comics. Indeed, if those warriors of the Gallic forests lived in fear that one day the sky would not fall on their heads, many Majorcans today anxiously think about the possibility that one day tourists will stop coming. They have assimilated the idea that tourism is their source of sustenance (“tourism feeds us,” they repeat, like a responsorial psalm) and that dedicating themselves to economic activities other than tourism is equivalent to a return to a life of scarcity and deprivation. (Due to age, most have not experienced scarcity or deprivation, but within the repertoire of prejudices they have incorporated, it also includes intense aporophobia).Since then, the Iran war has continued its course, becoming more uncertain and alarming each day, and yet, tourists have come. With Easter, the tourist season properly begins: this year we can say, therefore, that the season runs from March 31 to October 31. That's seven full months, in contrast to the three months that the traditional summer season lasted (which was limited to the two strict months during which people usually took vacations, July and August, with the addition of the second fortnight of June to open and the first of September to close). Now it lasts more than double, and the long-standing objective is to make the tourist season last twelve months. Indeed, before we learned to say ‘de-seasonalization’’ without stumbling, reality has made it clear that it was a mirage: we will not manage to distribute tourists better across the different seasons of the year, in order to avoid overcrowding, but rather we will have overcrowding all year round. De-seasonalization was another self-deception (in this case, of progressive origin) on par with ‘cultural tourism’: by promoting this, we have not obtained tourists who come to participate in our reading clubs and buy season tickets for the Principal Theatre and the Manacor Auditorium, but rather tourists who visit prefabricated exhibitions, susceptible of being set up and visited in interchangeable destinations: be it Malaga (the model to be followed by our current rulers) or Palma, for buyers of the holiday package for lovers of cultural and gastronomic experiences.When Iran began to fire its long-range missiles, a local media outlet published a report trying to warn that these rockets have enough power for one of them to fall on Mallorca. And much worse, it could fall in the middle of the tourist season. There is a not very subtle (but well-rooted form of self-hatred), which consists of believing that we are too small to be affected by what happens in the world, or that our lamentable condition as a mature tourist destination makes us sweet and harmless. Neither is true: Mallorca, although a significant number of Majorcans find it hard to believe, is part of this convulsive, violent and unpredictable world that appears in the news. It is not only part of it, but it is a strategic point in the middle of the Mediterranean. And its tourist season is too.

This March, singer Júlia Colom published a tune on social media that is not part of any of the albums she has released to date. It is a song written by her and her brother Martí, in which she speaks of a Mallorca that cries, of historic records, and of what, Colom says, we all know we have to do when the day gets longer: “stay inside at home so as not to bother them too much”. In a video that begins with a close-up of her and ends with an image of a hotel on the Majorcan coast, the singer from Valldemossa states: “Mallorca, you have been punished, / for getting the maximum profit: / a seasonal product / that now lasts all year round”. It is just the latest example of a whole series of songs with which island musicians and singers have demonstrated against mass tourism in recent years.

Government spokesman Antoni Costa expressed his hope on Friday that next season will see "zero growth" in the number of tourists, especially in overnight stays, although the total number of visitors for the year may continue to grow.

The Consell de Eivissa (Island Council of Ibiza) will participate in the International Tourism Berlin (ITB) trade fair from March 3rd to 5th, with the aim of strengthening its position in the German market at a time marked by growing debate about the limits of the tourism model. This institutional presence comes after the Balearic Islands have once again broken visitor records, approaching 19 million tourists. a figure that has an impact on the political and social discussion about overcrowdingFor its part, Germany is seen by the Council as a strategic source market due to its "long average stay and loyalty." According to Aena data, 349,763 German travelers arrived in Ibiza in 2025, slightly below the 352,715 of 2024, but above the 319,886 of 2023.

The Mallorcan band The Deaf Buffalos has released a new song, a direct and frontal attack on Airbnb and its consequences for the island of Mallorca and its inhabitants. Titled God bless AirbnbThe group includes lines and verses like "don't go to the beach, let the foreigner go, he's the king of the island, he's the one who gives us our bread," making a reference to tourist rentals. In fact, this is also the central theme of the music video, where the band members are seen in front of ETV signs, the identifying mark for properties intended for tourist rentals.

The groups fighting against mass tourism in Mallorca, united under the platform Less Tourism, More Life, have begun a reorganization process with the aim of "maintaining the fight in the streets" throughout the year and strengthening the citizen response to the increase in overtourism. More than fifty people participated this Friday afternoon in an organizational assembly at the GOB headquarters in Palma, where the foundations for this new phase were laid. The groups believe that "the constant increase in overtourism" in Mallorca can only be confronted through grassroots organizing, especially given the measures adopted by the authorities, which they consider "inefficient."

The meeting of the Pact for Sustainability, which was supposed to decide on the increase in the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS, known as the ecotax), ended in nothing. The government did not defend the tax increase it was advocating for just a few months ago. How The ARA Baleares is making progressThe government has backtracked and will not implement any of its flagship measures to combat overcrowding. Faced with this reality, the meeting between government representatives and the island councils, business organizations, and labor unions has become an exchange of opinions about the allocation of the Tourism Tax (ITS) funds. However, the debate on the advisability of charging tourists more for each night they spend in establishments on the islands has taken a back seat.

"The first thing I must do is listen to the growing social unrest (...) which expresses a shared outcry that our model can no longer grow in volume, that our islands have already reached their limit, that going from almost 18 million visitors to potentially reaching 20 million is not sustainable. That is why we have to talk (...) about limits, we must talk about restraint." The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, made these remarks in Parliament on June 20, 2024, referring to the 17.8 million tourists expected in 2023. At the time, she was defending the Pact for Sustainability, an initiative that the Executive presented as historic in terms of changing the course of the Islands. However, many of the proposals remain unknown; the committee of experts that was supposed to evaluate them and select the most appropriate ones has never been established; the document outlining the framework for the transition has been shelved; and the Executive has already made it clear that it does not intend to implement any significant restraint measures. And yet we have over a million more visitors than when Prohens considered it essential to talk about limits: 19,053,592 tourists – 1.73% more than the 18.7 million in 2024.

The Government does not plan to approve any major measures against overcrowding this legislative term and, in fact, no longer considers an increase in the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) necessary. This has been stated advanced the ARA Baleares And this has been confirmed by the First Vice President, Antoni Costa, at a press conference. In his view, given that the increase in tourist arrivals during peak season has remained below 1%, "extraordinary measures" such as this increase are no longer "necessary." This represents a change of position by the government, which last December defended this measure and agree to move forward with the PSIB"This is the culmination of two years of deception by Prohens, who has repeatedly lied about her commitment to addressing tourist overcrowding," laments Socialist MP Llorenç Pou.

Terraferida's latest analysis has confirmed the trend: overcrowding in the Balearic Islands is no longer a phenomenon exclusive to the summer months. Based on data from the Balearic Institute of Statistics (Ibestat), the organization indicates that the winter months of 2025 already register more people—residents and tourists alike—than the peak tourist seasons of 25 years ago, demonstrating a sustained increase in population density throughout the year.

The Civil Society Forum has warned that the transition to a more balanced, equitable, and sustainable model in Mallorca is "practically nonexistent." This is one of the main conclusions of the report "Key Indicators of Transitions by 2025," which also points to a "stagnation" in the elements that should enable social, environmental, and economic transitions. The study, presented this Thursday at the Estudi General Lul·lià as part of the Climate Academy's activities, identified a progressive increase in human pressure and an increasingly worrying housing crisis on the island, according to Europa Press. If this trend is not corrected, the Forum representatives were warned during the presentation, Mallorca is destined to become "a scenario of growing vulnerability" due to factors such as the climate crisis, political instability, and the monoculture of tourism. The overall conclusion of the study, which addresses each of these transitions separately, is that the transformation is "very slow and uneven." Without a "more robust and coordinated" intervention, an "unsustainable" model will become entrenched, increasing social vulnerability, degrading the land, and maintaining an economy "with little resilience to future crises." In light of this situation, as the Forum pointed out in a statement, the report's authors have proposed to the entire Mallorcan society, businesses, unions, and political parties the creation of a unified observatory to assess how to transition to an economic model capable of mitigating the effects of climate change. Human pressure and housing

One of the main points addressed by the study is the increased human pressure resulting from the combination of tourist arrivals and population growth. This increase, the authors emphasized, is characterized by a rise in social vulnerability, especially due to the financial burden of accessing housing, which has become "one of the main obstacles to advancing social transition." This pressure also translates into a greater strain on natural resources, services, infrastructure, and the sustainability of the territory. If this trend is not curbed, the report predicts that Mallorca could reach 56 million tourists annually and 1.5 million inhabitants by 2050. The study also highlights the use of private vehicles. In this regard, according to the study, Mallorca ranks second in the national classification for time lost in traffic congestion, with an average of 17 minutes per day for journeys of just ten kilometers. The report's authors also highlighted the worsening hydrological drought, linked to increased urban consumption, per capita waste generation well above the national average, and renewable energy, which, despite progress, is doing so "too slowly."

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The Formentera Council has presented to the Council of Entities a multi-year proposal for the continuity and evolution of Formentera.eco, the initiative of the smaller Pitiusa island to regulate vehicle access during the summer. The proposal aims to gradually reduce the entry of the most polluting vehicles, distribute visitor quotas according to environmental criteria, and maintain the quota of rental vehicles, which have already decreased by 16% from 2019 to 2023This proposal is based on the technical reports submitted to evaluate the operation of the island's ecological initiative, which reveals that more than 74% of the vehicles circulating in Formentera this summer belonged to tourists. The reports confirm the effectiveness of the measures implemented through the Formentera.eco program and should serve as the basis for defining the multi-year proposal to regulate the entry and circulation of vehicles on the island for the period 2026-2029, Castelló explained. The Minister of Mobility and the Environment, Verónica Castelló, explained that they are also considering creating a specific quota for non-resident workers and consolidating a more efficient, organized, and sustainable mobility model, moving towards a seasonal Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and promoting the use of public transport and bicycles.

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Palma tops the ranking of most sought-after destinations for German travelers to start 2026. This is according to data from the flight search engine Jetcost, which confirms a renewed surge in European end-of-year tourism and places the Balearic capital as the top choice for the German market between December 26, 2025, and 2025. Interest in traveling during this period continues to rise. According to Jetcost, flight searches for the end of 2025 have increased by 10% compared to the previous year, a trend that solidifies Christmas and New Year's travel as one of Europeans' favorite getaways. And, once again, Spain is positioned as the most searched country to start the new year, ahead of Italy, France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The weight of the German market

In this context, Palma stands out strongly. Besides leading the preferences of Germans, the city also occupies prominent positions in other markets: it is the eighth most sought-after destination for the British and French, the ninth for the Dutch, and the eleventh for the Italians and Portuguese. This data confirms the broad appeal of the Balearic capital beyond the peak season.

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The Balearic Islands are already preparing for what many experts anticipate will be one of the most complex—and massive—events of recent decades: the total solar eclipse of August 12, 2026. The phenomenon, which will occur shortly before sunset and has not been visible in the archipelago for over [number of] years of astronomical observation, is expected to draw an extraordinary influx of visitors, scientists, and enthusiasts. In anticipation of this, the Balearic Government has decided to preempt potential organizational chaos and has approved the creation of the Commission for the Management of Actions Related to the 2026 Total Eclipse, a cross-cutting, collegiate body that will coordinate all actions linked to the event. The agreement was adopted by the Governing Council at its session of December 12, 2025, and will come into effect the day after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB). An astronomical phenomenon with an impact far beyond the sky

The eclipse is not only an exceptional scientific event, but also a major logistical challenge. Mobility, public safety, civil protection, natural space management, institutional communication, and scientific outreach are just some of the areas that will be affected. The Government acknowledges that the international appeal of the phenomenon could strain key infrastructure, especially in the middle of August. In this context, the Executive is invoking the broad regional powers granted to it by the Statute of Autonomy—in transport, emergencies, tourism, the environment, research, and civil protection—to justify the need for comprehensive and coordinated planning. The goal is to avoid improvisation and ensure an efficient response to any incidents arising from the eclipse. Institutional coordination and a scientific perspective

The new commission is attached to the Ministry of the Presidency, Coordination of Government Action, and Local Cooperation, and will include representatives from various directorates general, especially those for Emergencies and Interior, Coordination and Local Cooperation, and Communication and Open Government. The involvement of astronomy associations and scientific and outreach organizations is also planned. According to the Government, the body will be responsible for ensuring both the safety and management of large gatherings of people and leveraging the phenomenon as an opportunity for scientific, educational, and tourism promotion of the Islands. The aim is to combine scientific rigor, high-quality outreach, and environmental protection. An exceptional event at a critical time.

The fact that the eclipse will occur before sunset and in the middle of summer increases the complexity of the operation. Natural areas, viewpoints, beaches, and elevated spaces could become mass viewing points, with the consequent environmental and safety risks if not managed properly. With the creation of this commission, the Balearic Government acknowledges that the 2026 eclipse will be much more than an astronomical spectacle: it will be a litmus test for the Balearic Islands' capacity for institutional coordination and for managing an exceptional event in a limited and highly pressured territory.

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The Balearic Islands received a total of 13,709,686 foreign tourists between January and September, a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. In September alone, 2,187,288 international visitors visited the archipelago, a 1.8% increase. Spain registered a record 76.5 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of the year, a 3.5% increase compared to the same period in 2014 (73.6 million), according to data published this Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The accumulated spending of foreign visitors to Spain reached a record €105.828 billion between January and September, a 7% year-on-year increase. In the Balearic Islands, this figure was €18.378 billion, a 5.9% increase.

]]> The flights low cost They are, today, an entry and exit gateway with undeniable repercussions for the Balearic Islands. They have given many people the opportunity to fly and have improved the islands' connectivity. But they are also one of the main channels that fuel the mass tourism that has become one of the most significant collective headaches for island society today. The paradox is more than evident: we complain about the massive arrival of visitors via these flights, but at the same time we depend on them to go out, to travel, and to feel connected.

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The most touristic season in the Balearic Islands is coming to an end. and airlines choose to cancel flights related to seasonal demand. Since that time,

]]> One of the best bars in the Balearic Islands, like so many things, is in Ibiza. It's called Can Jordi. And it's one of the best because it's not just a bar. It's a cultural center, a meeting point, and a landmark, filled with authors, initiatives, concerts, and exhibitions like the one on display until December 1st: "They're Kicking Us Out." Using an original graphic design and hanging photographs of towels, it collects real testimonies from people who can't pay their rent and are kicked out by Ibiza. So, take it. Literally.

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The Balearic Islands welcomed 14.01 million international passengers during the first nine months of 2025, 2.6% more than in the same period last year, according to data published this Monday by Turespaña.

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