When a year before the pandemic, the friend Àlex Dioscórides directed the magnificent documentary ‘Overbooking’, which already highlighted some of the indicators that make us a collapsed island, I believe that neither he nor all the people who saw it were able to imagine that a day would come, just like this start of the season, where not only would politicians have done nothing to reverse the situation, but we would find ourselves with a situation of overbooking of overbooking.If the concept of overbooking refers to overbooking of overbooking I mean the conversion of this over-selling into a permanent strategy, thanks to which collapse is no longer the exception, but the norm, even beyond the high season, as these days. We are not only talking about airlines or hotels, where business overbooking used to occur, but also about tourist rental houses, car rentals and a long etcetera of tourist services and products – also cycle tourism, and how! –, which indirectly generate saturation in the services that we residents need – and pay for –: roads, public transport and, indirectly, health and education, pressured by the population growth that the overbooking of overbooking.That the overbooking of overbooking goes beyond the “sensations” or “caprice” of residents was recently confirmed by the Government itself, when the Forum of Civil Society forced it to make public the results of the resident opinion poll, which indicates that the satisfaction level with tourism had fallen from 71% in 2018 to only 42% in 2024. For the first time, the overbooking of overbooking is causing a more than significant critical mass that is beginning to question the idea of ‘tourism is untouchable, because it's what feeds us’… 77.2% of residents directly blame tourism for the increase in housing prices; 55.4% for the rise in the cost of basic goods and services; 65.5% perceive an excessive saturation of streets, shops, and public transport; 62.3% believe that tourism degrades natural resources and the landscape.A few days ago, on a trip to Sóller, I was able to experience firsthand an overbooking that has been exceeded for some time, where the recipes of politicians, both local and regional, are limited to wanting to "manage better" the flow of cars, but without anyone daring to say that what needs to be done is to reduce, limit, decrease... Sóller is the metaphor for the overbooking of overbooking: living in a postcard town and not being able to leave your home. I would like to see in a few years studies on the increase in respiratory illnesses due to the increase in vehicle traffic, as it is quite evident that this must already be affecting the inhabitants of the municipality in terms of public health, as well as other daily headaches.

The tourist overcrowding of the Balearic Islands continues to increase. The number of tourists visiting the Archipelago during the summer season could increase again, and this time thanks to Ryanair. The company announced new routes this Thursday connecting Palma with different points in Europe and an expansion in the offer of seats and flights to visit Ibiza and Mallorca.

This summer, no concrete measures will be implemented to curb overcrowding and limit the arrival of tourists and cars to Menorca during peak season. Neither the updated Island Territorial Plan (PTI) nor the new tourism capacity ceiling, set at 107,917 beds in the preliminary carrying capacity study, have yet been approved. And this despite the fact that the influx of visitors continues to increase not only during the summer but also outside of peak season. In fact, 2025 was the first year in which the number of registered residents on the island never fell below 100,000, not even in December. Even so, the People's Party (PP) team, which governs the Menorca Island Council in minority with the external support of the councilor expelled from Vox, will still lack the necessary physical and legal mechanisms to restrict vehicle traffic. The PP's repeated announcements throughout its term have remained just that: words, not actions. It will likely be the last island to take measures to restrict access and limit congestion, although it is also the only one that, for the past three years, has had a legal tool to do so: the Biosphere Reserve Law, approved in 2023 by the Balearic Parliament. Nine months ago, last June, the Consell (Island Council) presented the study that was supposed to determine the number of excess vehicles on the road network. The conclusion surprised everyone, as it set the limit at 120,000 cars, while the maximum daily traffic recorded on Menorca's roads in 2024 was 122,170 vehicles, only 1.8% above this limit.

The Platform Against Megacruise Ships has described the latest agreement signed between the Balearic Islands Government, the Palma City Council, and the large cruise lines as "a worthless piece of paper and a complete farce." According to the organization, the pact represents no real change from the previous one and confirms that "in Palma, the general interest doesn't govern; the large cruise lines do."

The Parador de Eivissa was officially inaugurated this Monday in Dalt Vila and will open its doors to the first customers on March 10, after a total investment of almost 47 million euros and more than two decades of procedures and works.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment seized a batch of 118 bottles of sangria at Palma Airport that were being sold under the "Mallorca" label, despite having been produced and bottled by a company from another autonomous community. The product, in 4, 24, and 75 centiliter sizes, was presumably intended for sale within the airport. According to a statement from the department, using the island's name on a product not produced in Mallorca could constitute a serious violation of agri-food quality regulations. The minimum penalty is €3,001, pending the outcome of the corresponding investigation. The Director General of Agri-food Quality and Local Products, Joan Llabrés, affirmed that the Balearic Government is maintaining vigilance to prevent unfair competition against Balearic producers and consumer fraud. As he emphasized, the use of the name "Mallorca" on products made outside the island "directly harms producers who comply with regulations and work to maintain the quality standards associated" with the territory. Llabrés stressed the context in which the intervention took place: the product's target audience was visitors who want to take home a gastronomic souvenir of the island. "Tourists trust that what they buy is truly representative of Mallorca," he underlined. The action falls within the inspection and control tasks carried out by the Directorate General for Agri-food Quality and Local Products, which is responsible for safeguarding protected names, native breeds, and the origin of agri-food products marketed in the Balearic Islands. The Government reiterated its commitment to defending local products, transparency in marketing, and guaranteeing truthful information for consumers. He assured that he will continue to take action against any misuse of names linked to the Islands.

The lack of aviation fuel in Cuba has triggered a new crisis that is severely impacting the international tourism sector and, in particular, Spanish companies with a significant presence on the island. The Cuban government has warned airlines that it cannot guarantee kerosene supplies at the country's airports for weeks, a situation that has forced a reconfiguration of flight operations and accelerated adjustments in the hotel sector. The crisis is part of a serious energy emergency plaguing the country, with difficulties importing oil and its derivatives, which affects not only air transport but also the electricity supply and economic activity in general. Tourism, Cuba's main source of foreign currency, is once again in an extremely vulnerable position.

RVHotels Sea Club Menorca has compensated a customer from Valencia with 50 percent of the amount paid after a vacation marred by serious service deficiencies, according to a statement released Monday by Facua Comunitat Valenciana. Rosa D., a resident of Sagunto, had booked a week in August 2025 at this establishment advertised as a four-star beachfront hotel. However, upon arrival, she found that the facilities and services did not meet her expectations: damaged bathrooms, rusty and dirty kitchen utensils, paint residue throughout the room, and a broken air conditioner for three days. Furthermore, the quality of the food was inadequate: raw food, the use of the same tongs for different dishes, and delays in beverage service forced the customer to dine out most nights, even though set menus were included in her reservation. Rosa D. filed a complaint with the hotel itself, providing photographs and videos as evidence, but received no response. At home, she filed a complaint with the Menorca Island Council or demanded a refund of 50% of the €1,432 she had paid for her stay. Following Facua's intervention, RVHotels Sea Club Menorca accepted the allegations, acknowledged the deficiencies, and finally refunded the €716 claimed by the customer. According to Facua, this case highlights the importance of monitoring tourist services and the need for hotels to deliver on their promises, guaranteeing the safety, hygiene, and comfort of their guests.

Aena has already completed 70% of the Son Sant Joan airport renovation. With an investment of over 400 million euros, this is the most significant project undertaken at this key hub for mobility and tourism in the Balearic Islands. Arriving by road at the main terminal, it's easy to see how the number of walkways is increasing considerably (fingersto access the aircraft. It's hard not to conclude that this is an expansion, but Aena has denied for years that these actions constitute one, always referring to the improvement of passenger comfort.

"If we assume 200 liters of water per day per tourist, a reasonable consumption for a three-star hotel, the water footprint can reach 11,000 liters per day," estimates the president of the executive committee of Act4water—an initiative involving professionals specializing in corporate sustainability and water management—at the Water and Tourism conference held this Thursday. This figure in the Balearic Islands is equivalent to filling a small swimming pool every day. She added that "the figures increase" if the hotel "upgrades in category." She also pointed out that the average water footprint of a Spanish resident is 6,700 liters of water per day. These figures, however, are only fully understood if one has a clear understanding of what a water footprint is: the total amount of water a tourist consumes both directly—through showers, swimming pools, or baths—and indirectly, through the services they use. This is the water needed to wash hotel towels and sheets, cook, clean rooms, maintain gardens, and fill and treat swimming pools. To put it in context: 11,000 liters is roughly equivalent to 55 five-minute showers, or the domestic water use of an entire family for several days, or 150 loads of washing machine in a single day.

More than half of the shops, bars, and restaurants in the center of Ciutadella are already closed. The tourist season officially ended three weeks ago, and Menorca has gone into hibernation. The airport now only offers direct flights to Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Palma, Valencia, and London, and the island has lost 20,000 inhabitants in just eight days. The population has plummeted from over 110,000 at the end of October to a mere 90,000, according to the Menorca Socio-Environmental Observatory (Obsam) since the beginning of November. The island currently has 13,000 fewer residents than the 103,281 recorded in the last official census. "The population decline is more abrupt at this time of year than before the season began," notes David Carreras, director of Obsam.

One in four euros generated by the Balearic Islands' economy is directly linked to tourism. And nearly a third of the region's workforce is employed there. These figures come from the Impulsa Foundation, which has meticulously categorized the islands' main productive sectors and paints a stark picture: despite still being by far the most quantitatively significant activity, tourism is proportionally losing ground within the overall Balearic economy. The reasons lie in a combination of complex factors and even change "depending on the parameters used for analysis," explains Antoni Riera, Professor of Economics and Director of Impulsa. But in any case, they reveal that "things are changing" and that tourism can no longer be the sole defining factor of the island's economy.

The board of trustees of the Palma 365 Tourism Foundation – chaired by the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez – approved its 2026 action plan this Monday. The plan aims to attract more tourists and consolidate markets such as Canada and Abu Dhabi, according to a statement released by the organization, which also emphasizes the need to capitalize on new tourist routes. The Palma City Council (Cort) also intends to strengthen Playa de Palma's position as a leading tourist destination. The Foundation's budget for next year will be €1,529,070, €100,000 more than in 2025. The Foundation's manager, Pedro Homar, highlighted that the organization will maintain a "continuity" approach next year and explained that priorities include tourism initiatives for residents (without specifying any concrete measures), universal accessibility, and the digitalization of the destination. This budget will fund tourism promotion in strategic markets, tourism quality projects, accessible tourism initiatives, and an updated website. visitpalma.com

Palma Airport will temporarily close Module D from November 4th until April for a complete roof renovation, according to Aena. The work will include replacing the air conditioning and lighting systems with new, more modern and efficient ones, as well as remodeling the suspended ceiling. During this period, flight operations that normally take place in Module D will be transferred to Module C, and Module A, which is usually closed in winter, will remain open to ensure better passenger traffic management. Aena explained that this action is part of the public company's Climate Action Plan, which aims to move towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient airport model. The renovation is expected to significantly improve the building's energy performance and reduce the environmental impact of the facilities.

In Palma's Plaza de España, the guide raises his hand in the same position as Jaime I on his horse. With this gesture, he attracts the attention of the tourists, who have reserved a seat. tour Free tour to explore the city center. The majority are middle-aged couples, pre-IMSESERSO students. They've chosen a mid-range, budget-friendly option—in fact, you only pay at the end of the tour—for those who don't want to read a guidebook, follow Google Maps, or wander between franchises and monuments without knowing where to take a photo.

The effective population of the Balearic Islands averaged 1.96 million people in July, 56% above the number of residents. This figure means there was one tourist for every two inhabitants registered on the islands. This is evident from data from the Human Pressure Indicator of the Balearic Institute of Statistics (Ibestat), which establishes that the maximum actual population (residents and tourists) was reached on July 30th, with more than two million people, 0.6% less than in 2024. On the other hand, the minimum recorded was 1.2% in 2024, reported the EFE news agency.