The love affair with the Balearics continues as the islands welcome more visitors in September than any other part of Spain 

THE Balearic Islands have once again proven to be the destination of choice in Spain for both domestic and international tourists in September.

The islands hosted over 2.1 million travellers, a 5.9% bump compared to the same month last year. 

These numbers work out as 11,038,002 overnight stays, which is a 4.1% annual increase.

The numbers of both Spanish and foreign tourists rose uniformly.

READ MORE: New ‘natural paradise’ will open in Mallorca next year after years-long conservation project by the WWF

Of the former, there was a 5.7% increase to 248,515 visitors, while the latter saw a 5.9% rise to 1,861,538. Overnight stays for domestic visitors just failed to breach the one million mark (909,814) despite a 3.6% rise.

But the number of overnight stays for their international counterparts increased by 4.2%, propelling them past the 10 million mark.

READ MORE: Missing woman, 24, was likely incinerated after becoming trapped inside a bin in Spain’s Mallorca, say police

Notably, rural tourism has seen a particularly strong growth, with the Balearic Islands becoming Spain's favourite destination for those seeking a jaunt to the countryside and nature-based experience.

Catalunya ran the Balearics a close second for visitors, welcoming 2.03 million, followed up by Andalucia with 1.4 million and the Valencia Community with 1.2 million.

Overall, Spain received 9.6 million international tourists in September, a 9.1% increase year-on-year, maintaining the breakneck growth in the country’s tourism sector.