Tourism bosses in Spain’s Balearic Islands launch PR campaign to lure back Brits after number of UK arrivals plummet by 10%

THE Balearic Islands are increasing efforts to encourage UK tourists to visit after a significant dip in visitor numbers following a spate of anti-mass tourism protests. 

They reported a 10% decrease in British tourism in July. 

In 2023, four million Brits visited the islands, meaning the July slump meant tens of thousands skipped a trip to the holiday hotspot. 

Spain’s other major market, Germany, increased its visitor numbers by 12% during the same period. 

READ MORE: ‘Historic’ anti-tourism march in Mallorca: 10,000 locals take to the streets demanding change to ‘destructive’ industry

Although it’s not clear if it was the protests that have influenced holidaymakers’ plans, the local tourism agency, AETIB, initiated a UK-focussed media campaign designed to counter the negative press before the data was released. 

Managed by London based firm, Lotus, the campaign hopes to reassure travellers they are welcome on the islands. 

The campaign, sent to tour operators and travel agencies, said tourists should not fear displays of ‘turismophobia’ or hostility. 

It comes after months of protests throughout Spain against mass-tourism.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Anti-tourism graffiti brands tourists a ‘plague’ in Spain’s Sevilla as locals mock British visitors who had water thrown on their heads

In Barcelona, tourists were squirted with water guns while in Sevilla, British tourists were doused with a bucket of water from a balcony.

It is not uncommon to see graffiti reading ‘tourists go home’ in major cities, but the situation took a dark turn when graffiti reading ‘kill a tourist’ appeared in Manacor, Mallorca.

The escalating anti-tourist sentiment reached fever pitch in May with Mallorca’s ‘historic’ anti-tourism protest.

Many held placards with phrases like: ‘Our ancestors land is for sale’ and ‘It’s not tourismphobia, it’s Mallorcacide’.

They also chanted: “No, no, they will not force us out of Mallorca.” 

Protestors are urging authorities to enforce stricter controls on tourist lets to improve housing for locals. 

House prices have been pushed up after companies like Airbnb created high demand, making housing unattainable for many Mallorcans. 

Amid the anti-tourism movement, UK visitor numbers in the Balearics have been changing rapidly. 

In April, they grew 0.3%, only to drop to 5.9% in May. 

Then in June they seemed to recover, increasing 2.4%, only to fall again by a stark 10% in July. 

According to Majorca Daily Bulletin, holiday rental owners are not convinced by the AETIB’s tactics: “No matter how much they tell them that everything is fine, if potential visitors see an image on television with a slogan saying kill a tourist, they will think twice.”

Desperate attempts to attract tourism have seen prices plummet.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a tourist too!’: Major holiday hotspot in Spain launches campaign to counter ‘anti-tourism’ movement

In Menorca, car hire costs have fallen by a fifth and Airbnb style properties are tempting tourists with hefty discounts of up to 40% for September stays. 

Even the price of a ferry ticket to the mainland has been cut by 20%. 

While luxury accommodations have struggled to fill rooms, reducing rates to attract more visitors, lower quality accommodation has seen a ‘positive’ August, according to the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers (AEDH). 

In June, a survey found that almost half of 900 respondents were thinking twice about visiting Mallorca. 

Local tourist bosses are growing increasingly worried about the economic impact of the protests, claiming they are ‘playing with fire’. 

READ MORE: Locals in Spain succeed in shutting down tourist flats in luxury Malaga tower blocks – but one owner blasts them as ‘radical anti-tourism activists who hate foreigners’