The Palma XXI group is proposing that the number of tourists in the centre of the city in high summer be cut by half. According to its figures, there were up to 90,000 people on a daily basis in the historic centre in July - 52,300 residents and 37,700 tourists. This density is more than double that of the rest of Palma.
The level of tourism, says a report from the group, has increased significantly in recent years. Hotel places went up by 65% between 2012 and 2017, and the number of establishments rose from 24 to 67. Car parks fill up between ten in the morning and three in the afternoon, and there is an average of 16,500 passengers who arrive on buses in summer. The peak time for tourist numbers is from eleven in the morning until one in the afternoon. The busiest streets include Sant Miquel and Palau Reial, while there are concentrations of visitors in the Plaça Major and at the Cathedral. The study adds that there are on average 7,000 cruise ship passengers on days in summer.
Palma XXI uses data from the property website Idealista in pointing to a rental cost of a little more than one euro per square metre higher in the historic centre than elsewhere. Property sales went up 80% between 2012 and 2016. These were four times more than the average in the Balearics in 2016; 38% of sales were to overseas buyers. Of shops, almost two-thirds are geared towards tourism.
As for tourist and resident perceptions, 48% of tourists believe that there are too many people, while 66% of residents consider that the city has exceeded its tourist capacity.
The president of Palma XXI, Jaume Garau, believes that there should be a ceiling on the number of tourists so that there is a "more acceptable scenario".