75% of islanders consider tourist pressure to be excessive and demand clear limits.

Palm75% of residents of the Balearic Islands believe there are too many tourists arriving, and 77% warn that this pressure is driving up housing prices. The survey conducted by the Tourism Strategy Agency (AETIB) among 2,008 residents of the four islands in October 2024 also shows a clear rejection of tourist rentals: almost 62% are against it, a percentage that rises to 70% among the middle- and low-income population.

Despite this growing discontent, 42% of residents still declare themselves satisfied with tourism, especially in Formentera (68%) and Menorca (65.6%). In Mallorca, however, satisfaction falls to a low of 38%. 19.5 percent of residents believe that tourism helps improve quality of life, 36.3 percent think it contributes to maintaining it, 13.4 percent believe it has no influence, and 30.8 percent consider it detrimental to well-being.

Residents identify the main negative impacts as rising housing costs (77.2%), increased overcrowding and traffic jams (65.5%), pressure on natural resources (63.2%), and the rising cost of goods and services (55.3%). However, nearly 86 percent recognize the sector's key role in generating wealth, and 74 percent recognize it in creating jobs.

Faced with this situation, 69.1 percent of the population advocates limiting the number of visitors, curbing cruise ships, and reducing tourist accommodation, with strong support (80.5%) in the specific case of vacation rentals. Limiting rental cars also enjoys almost unanimous support (79.6%), and more than half of citizens (51.9%) call for a halt to tourism promotion on the islands. Limiting visitors and restricting cruises as containment measures is supported by 77.4% of respondents in Mallorca.

Changing social climate

Regarding the impact of the main economic sector on identity, culture, and heritage, 32% believe its influence is detrimental, a view that reaches 51.4% in Mallorca.

The data show a change in the social climate compared to previous surveys. The analysis compares the results from October last year with those of surveys conducted in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022, highlighting that satisfaction is at its lowest level in this period (from 60.1% to 42%).

From 2016 to 2024, the percentage of people who believe that tourism harms their quality of life has increased from 18.8% to 30.8%, and those who believe that the identity, culture, and heritage of the Islands are being damaged by the influx of tourists have increased from 20.2% to 32%.

In the two-year period, from 2022 to 2024, the belief that too many tourists are arriving has increased by 5 points, reaching 75.6%, and the negative opinion of vacation rentals has increased from 42.6% to 61.8%.