Palma XXI, a citizens' association founded in 2016 which is critical of Mallorca's tourism model, has questioned statements made by the Balearics tourism minister, Jaume Bauzá, regarding tourism containment.
Association vice-president, Jaume Garau, says the minister's "narrative of success and moderation" does not reflect reality.
"Official figures from AENA completely contradict the minister." These figures reveal that passenger arrivals from January to September were higher than in 2024, "so there's no containment whatsoever". Bauzá is boasting about "a year of containment that simply didn't exist".
Garau criticises the minister's positive interpretation of Human Pressure Index data, which have shown a slight reduction in the summer months. "It's clear that the summer didn't behave this way because of any containment, but rather due to a stabilisation typical of tourism growth after crises." (Garau is referring to post-pandemic growth that added more than two million tourists in the Balearics compared with 2019.)
He also questions the idea of there having been a shift in tourist numbers towards the shoulder and off-season months. "Talking about a shift in the season towards spring and autumn is pure rhetoric. There are no percentages to support it, and the supposed extension to the season is, for the moment, intangible."
Garau also draws into questions the success of the responsible tourism decree. "You only have to look around you to see that illegal stays are proliferating in all types of establishments, not just holiday rentals. The reality is that unlicensed activity continues out of control, and the decree seems like an exercise in self-justification."