What a strange summer season this is proving to be in the Balearics and across Spain. Today, it has been confirmed that Palma airport handled 7.1 million international passengers between January and July, representing a 2.9% increase over the same period in 2024, according to data published by Turespaña. In July alone, Palma airport handled 1.8 million tourists, 0.8% more than in July last year.
As for Ibiza, from January to July, 1.5 million people flew to the island, 2.7% more, while in July alone there were 493,311 international passengers, 2.2% more. In Spain as a whole, passengers arriving from international airports increased by 4.3% year-on-year in July, reaching 11.7 million.
In the first seven months of the year, Spain received 63.7 million international passengers, 6% more than in 2024, of which 13,795,000, 21.6% of the total, arrived from the United Kingdom. Spain maintains the UK as its main source market, although Turespaña highlights the increases in July of visitors from from China and South Korea, as well as the recovery of Japan.
In July, 2.7 million passengers flew to Spain from the UK, 4% more. The Balearic Islands were the main destination, accounting for 27% of British passengers - ahead of the Canary Islands with 20.9%. And what is curious, in July, 1.6 million passengers flew from Germany, a year-on-year decline of 0.6%, mainly due to the fact that the Balearic Islands received 3.2% fewer tourists than in 2024. Catalonia and the Canary Islands were the next regions with the highest number of passengers.
Italy also recorded a year-on-year increase of 5%, with 1.1 million passengers. Madrid and Catalonia accounted for 52.2% of arrivals, while the Basque Country and the Canary Islands grew by over 10% year-on-year.
France added 868,000 passengers, ranking fourth, while the Netherlands, fifth in terms of total numbers, sent 569,000 passengers, 11.1% more than in 2024. In addition to the increase in the Netherlands, the main destinations that recorded the most pronounced increases were Ireland, with a rise of 10.2%, and Poland, which, although accounting for 2.6% of the total flow, saw a 16% increase in numbers during July.
The six autonomous communities with the most passengers - Madrid, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Andalusia and the Valencian Community - accounted for 97% of total arrivals and all recorded increases compared to 2024. However, the Valencian Community achieved an increase of 8.2%, the strongest growth, while the Balearic Islands, the most moderate, grew by 1.2%.
This figure was driven by an 8.3% year-on-year increase at Alicante airport, as well as an 8% increase at Valencia airport. Behind the two destinations in the Valencian Community was a 7.3% increase recorded in Malaga. In absolute terms, Madrid-Barajas airport received 2.2 million passengers, up 2.5%. It was followed by Barcelona, with 2 million international passengers and an increase of 4.9%, and Palma, with 1.8 million arrivals, up 0.8%.