Joan Trian Riu is the managing director of Riu Hotels & Resorts, one of Mallorca's 'big four' hotel groups along with Barceló, Iberostar and Meliá.
Chief Operating Officer for the Americas, he says of the situation that he had thought "we had already reached the maximum possible level of uncertainty, but now I see that we haven't". "What could happen to Cuba as a tourist destination? Could it implode? I don't know. Trump has threatened Cuba, Colombia, Mexico … . These threats add more uncertainty, but all we can do for now is continue working as normal."
Closer to home, he is preparing for the 2026 season. "The numbers point to a slight improvement, not so much in terms of capacity but in terms of prices, with an increase of around two per cent, although this varies from region to region. We're at full capacity, and the only thing you can do is raise prices. I repeat, this varies from region to region, but in general we're in a privileged position."
Of the high-season months of July and August, Trian says they are seeing a more family-oriented clientele. "At the beginning of the season, it's younger, partly because prices are lower. In the less seasonal months, there's a greater variety of clients: some British, French, Polish, and other Eastern European tourists, Asians ... ." In addition, there are Germans, Mallorca's biggest tourist market, albeit one that suffered a downturn over several months of 2025.
His mother is Carmen Riu, who retired as co-CEO in summer 2024, leaving his uncle, Luis, as the sole CEO. She was one of the few voices in the island's hotel industry who warned about overcrowding, even before the pandemic. Trian shares her concern:
"Absolutely. Mallorca is a limited territory, and we know what happens during the peak tourist season. We are also seeing traditional shops in Palma or in towns disappearing and being replaced by international franchises or by places where they serve you avocado toast, which is more of the same. Society largely agrees on these problems, but bold decisions need to be made. Do we have the carrying capacity? How do we define it, and what measures do we take to ensure it's met? What's clear is that if we do nothing, this won't be sustainable."
An increase in the tourist tax this coming summer now looks to be most unlikely. Trian doesn't believe that the tax is a measure that will help regulate the influx of visitors. "We can debate whether it's appropriate or not. If you want to increase the rate, fine, but it's not a tool for regulating tourist flows. And it has to be targeted, directly related to reducing the negative effects of tourism and improving the infrastructure affected by tourism activity."
Of the big four chains, Meliá's CEO, Gabriel Escarrer, has been the most vocal in accusing the Balearic Government of being too permissive with holiday rentals. Trian says, "from a business perspective", he would prefer to see fewer holiday rentals. "But I can understand that renting out their own homes is more profitable for some people. From a sustainability standpoint, a hotel is far more resource-efficient than a holiday rental." Above all, though, he stresses the need to eliminate illegal holiday lets. "If we were to get rid of these, we might not have a problem with overcrowding anymore."