Are there more signs of a positive reversal of fortunes for Balearic winter tourism? According to the Frontur survey of foreign tourist arrivals, in January there was a total of 97,584 tourists from overseas. These represented a 12% increase over January 2015.
However, the principal source of these tourists was as it always is in the off-season. Germany supplied 54% of all tourists, with the UK contributing 15%. The number also has to be seen in the context of the whole of Spain. The Balearics welcomed 2.8% of all foreign tourists to Spain in January and was behind the four regions that are - in summer - its principal sun-and-beach competitors (Andalusia, Canaries, Catalonia and Valencia) as well as Madrid.
In the country as a whole there were 3.5 million tourists, which was an increase of 11% on what had been an historical record in January last year. The UK contribution to this national total was a rise of over 16% to just over 700,000 visitors: 20% of all foreign tourists who came to Spain. France provided the second most tourists - almost 475,000 - while the German market was down a fraction (by 0.3%) to 460,000.
Although the Canaries received the most tourists in January, the volume remained unaltered by comparison with last year. Andalusia (with the Costa del Sol) and Valencia (which includes Benidorm) both registered increases of more than 20%.