The director of the Balearic Government's AETIB tourism strategy agency, Pere Joan Planes, points out that "we live in a globalised world that is changing the tourism landscape" and which is translating into an increase in tourist numbers from across the globe. Emphasising that strategies are not focused on growth in volume - "we have long since stopped focusing on quantity and instead on quality" - the numbers have nevertheless increased by 184% since 2016. In 2024, tourism from outside Europe contributed 787,419 visitors.
For both the previous and the current government, diversification of tourism markets and the attraction of a higher-spending tourist base has been central to the strategies. Where 2025 is concerned, figures from Spain's tourism institute, Turespaña, suggest this approach is bearing fruit, albeit that a general exposure of Mallorca and the Balearics on social media also has to be taken into account.
Growth in 2025 non-European bookings for the Balearics, according to Turespaña, is headed by India - up 56% - with Australia, Japan and Middle East countries (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain) registering percentage rises of between 35 and 45%. Turespaña doesn't give actual numbers of tourists, but they all feed into the 'rest of the world', the statistical catch-all that equated to 787,419 in 2024.
The biggest bet in recent years has been on the North American market, for which Turespaña indicates a 21% increase in Canadian bookings and 11% for the US. The US market trends report for spring and summer 2025 shows that there has been a 5.3% drop in US bookings for Spain as a whole. The one region bucking the trend is the Balearics. (These bookings refer to flights.)
The impact of Donald Trump's policies and of a less favourable exchange rate is being monitored closely by Spain's tourism authorities, but the Balearics at present stand out for not having been affected. The 11% figure that Turespaña quotes can't directly be compared with the whole of 2024, but as US tourism rose by 1.2% last year, the Balearics would appear to be escaping any harm being caused.
Turespaña has highlighted United Airlines direct services, one of which is the New York to Palma route. There will be four weekly flights when this resumes later this month and the service will operate for a month longer than in 2024 - up to October 24. There will be 50% more seats, say United.
A question for 2025 will concern where US tourists go. Do they stay in Mallorca or move on to the other islands? In 2024, US tourism in Mallorca fell by 7.4% to 195,012, while it increased in Menorca and Ibiza/Formentera by 51% and 27% respectively. The Balearics attracted 279,205 US tourists in 2024, the tenth largest market.
For Planas and the government, attracting tourists from non-European markets is in accordance with a recommendation of the sustainability pact and its bases for tourism transition, namely a diversification that will reduce dependence on Germany and the UK and bring in tourists with greater purchasing power.