Like a well oiled machine the Balearics welcomed 13.6 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year...not bad for a group of islands which have a population of just one million.
What I find rather amazing is that all these millions of people come and go with few problems. It is quite remarkable if you think about it. Palma airport handles more passengers than London Gatwick during the summer months and almost more aircraft movements that London Heathrow the busiest airport in the world. And that it just transport.
Then you have the hotels and apartment where these 13 million people stay. Much of the food is imported from the mainland in an operation which would scare many. If the Balearics was a company it would probably be up there with the top firms in the world. Not bad for such a small place.
Over recent years there have been growing complaints that the islands are attacting too many tourists but to be honest the Balearics is only seriously crowded during the peak summer weeks. Hoteliers believe that more tourists can be attracted and this is one of the reasons why Palma airport is being overhauled this summer. The industry can continue to grow especially during the winter months, because the majority of these 13.4 million tourists come during the peak summer months.
It is remarkable that in the space of 40 years the islands have become one of the leading holiday destination in the world. It says alot for the local population. The Balearics is an international success story. I suspect that tourism to the islands will continue to prosper because the know-how is readily available, you just have to look at the last 40 years.