Panic in Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza as Germans abandon islands for a new destination

Germans are swapping traditional holiday destinations in Spain for a location more than 1,200 miles away from Madrid. It's reported numbers of Germanic visitors to the Spanish sunshine islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza are down this year for the second season in a row.

According to new data published by Turespaña, in July, 1.6 million passengers flew from Germany (13.4% of the total), with a slight year-on-year decrease of -0.6%. Although the Balearic Islands were the main destination, with a 46.7% share of arrivals, these decreased by -3.2%. Catalonia, the region home to the vibrant Spanish city of Barcelona, also saw a decrease in visitors, down by 1%.

However, elsewhere in Spain, there was a spike in German arrivals, with the Canary Islands reporting a steep rise of 6.1% in July. Majorca has previously been a much-loved destination for German tourists, but recent anti-visitor protests and rising property prices could be behind a fall in numbers.

According to the Spanish tourist ministry, Britain remains the biggest source market for the Spanish travel industry.

The United Kingdom shipped 2.7 million international passengers and generated 23.1% of the total arrivals to Spain, registering a year-on-year increase of 4%.

The Balearic Islands were the main destination for British visitors, accounting for 27% of passengers, followed by the Canary Islands, with a share of 20.9%.

In terms of year-on-year growth, Galicia and Andalusia saw the greatest increase in growth, exceeding 10%.

Elsewhere in Europe, Germans also enjoy taking summer breaks in Turkey, a historical ally of the nation which has a large ex-pat population in Germany.

In Germany itself, latest figures show incoming tourism is down partly due to last year's figures taking into account the arrival of international football fans for the UEFA European Football Championship.

According to the latest monthly figures from the Federal Statistical Office for June 2025, there were 7.6 million international overnight stays - a decrease of 12.7 per cent compared with the previous year.