A popular Spanish island among British tourists is set to limit the number of visitors it receives during the summer months.
In a new development, the charming city of Palma in Mallorca will decrease the daily cruise ship berths from 8,500 to 7,500 between June and September from 2027 to 2029. This reduction aims to reduce the influx of passengers disembarking to explore the city during this period.
While the number of ship berths will revert to 8,500 outside the summer season, the cut of 1,000 berths during peak travel times will impact holidaymakers arriving in Palma via cruises. Last year, more than 19 million British travelers visited Spain, with Mallorca alone attracting over 2 million UK visitors, according to reports from the Express.
The temporary restrictions in Palma are scheduled to end in 2029, but the agreement with the Balearic Government, Palma City Council, and 20 cruise lines will remain in effect until 2031. The objective of this collaboration is to manage cruise activities and safeguard the city’s interests, particularly in the historic center, as reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
A maximum of three cruise ships will be allowed to dock at the Port of Palma daily, with only one ship permitted to carry more than 5,000 passengers each day. These measures come in response to concerns about overtourism in the region, which could trigger additional protests from residents this summer.
In past years, thousands of Spanish locals have protested against the sustainability pact of the Balearic Government, citing uncontrolled overcrowding on the islands. Ahead of a recent demonstration, a statement was released emphasizing the need for grassroots initiatives to address the escalating overtourism in Mallorca.
Tourist arrivals to the Balearic Islands have continued to rise, reaching 18.7 million in 2024 and over 19 million the following year. The local population stands at around 1.2 million, including approximately 18,000 British expatriates.
To combat overtourism, the opposition party PSOE proposed limiting annual visitor numbers to 17.8 million in the Balearic parliament. However, the proposal was rejected earlier this year.
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our <a data