According to the Turespaña market trends report for the 2025-2026 autumn-winter season, there has been a 16.3% increase in bookings for the Balearics by Chinese travellers; this is by comparison with 2024-2025.
Although there has been this percentage increase, the Spanish tourism institute's report highlights a structural limitation: connectivity. Most Chinese tourism in Spain is concentrated in the Catalonia and Madrid regions, which is where the two most important international airports are located. In terms of Chinese tourism, the other main tourist regions - Andalusia, the Canaries, Valencia - are increasing this market from just as modest a base as the Balearics.
The Chinese market is a high-spending one, which is why there are ambitions to grow the market in the Balearics. To do so, as Turespaña points out, there is an urgent need to improve air connections.
Two years ago, China Southern and China Eastern airlines contacted the Balearic Government to explore the possibility of establishing direct flights to Palma. Initial contacts were made at the World Routes trade fair in Istanbul in October 2023. However, nothing came of these.
The director of the government's AETIB tourism strategy agency, Pere Joan Planes, downplays the possibility of any significant increase in Chinese tourist numbers. Referring to the government policy of tourism containment, he says: "We can explore some very specific premium segment, but we are ruling out direct flights from China to attract more tourists en masse."
The actual tourist numbers are very low, though figures aren't given. The Turespaña report only refers to the percentage increase.