The Balearic government has predicted that the tourism sector will continue along the same lines as this year in 2026, while the national government has predicted the end of the ‘champagne effect’ that followed the coronavirus pandemic. This was stated on Tuesday by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Jaume Bauzà, and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez, when asked about the balance of the year in terms of tourism and the forecasts for next year.
“All the information we are receiving, although still very preliminary, points to continuity in terms of tourist activity in the Balearics. We have no indication to the contrary,‘ Bauzà stressed. The minister said they would continue to work to combat illegal tourism, which he linked to the slight decline in visitor numbers during the summer months, and called for seasons to be evaluated ‘not so much by the number of visitors but by the positive impact they have on the region’.
The Secretary of State for Tourism indicated that her department no longer makes forecasts and assessments based on the high season, but rather on the whole year. In her opinion, at the end of 2025, it can be said that the objectives shared by institutions and companies, such as the deseasonalisation of tourist flows, the diversification of the offer and the improvement of service quality, are being met.
‘It is good news that there is consensus among the autonomous communities, local councils and the private sector on the need to focus efforts on ensuring that the tourism sector grows and improves, provided that it improves the lives of the residents of each of the territories,’ she said.
Looking ahead to next year, Sánchez estimated that the post-pandemic ‘champagne effect’, which brought ‘double-digit growth that is not desirable’, will subside. ‘I think there is consensus that it will not happen again,’ she said. This, she continued, is one of the objectives set by the government, ‘to direct efforts towards a tourism sector that is a source of sustainable prosperity through improved governance focused on the people who live and work in the territories.’