The Balearic Socialist Party (PSIB), the main opposition party in the regional parliament, has proposed setting an annual cap on the number of tourists visiting the islands.
The proposal
The PSIB wants to limit visitor numbers to 17.8 million a year, the figure recorded in 2023. Since then, numbers have continued to rise, reaching around 18.7 million in 2024 and about 19 million in 2025, so the cap would mean a reduction from current levels.
The party’s former tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, has argued for an even lower ceiling of 16.5 million.
Questions still to answer
The proposal is going before the Balearic parliament, but key details have not been set out, including:
- how the cap would be enforced — for example through limits on flights, cruise passengers or tourist accommodation;
- when it would take effect;
- what would happen once the limit was reached.
The plan also includes tougher action against illegal holiday rentals, which are widely blamed for reducing the supply of homes for residents.
Why the debate matters
The Balearics have a population of around 1.2 million, while Mallorca alone receives well over 10 million foreign and domestic visitors a year. Residents have taken to the streets in recent summers, complaining that tourism is driving up housing costs, overcrowding beaches and roads and changing the character of towns and villages.
The other side
Tourism is the backbone of the islands’ economy, and business groups warn that limiting visitor numbers could cost jobs in hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. Miguel Pérez-Marsá, of the Balearic association of leisure and entertainment businesses, warned that the message being sent was driving away the kind of visitors the islands want, who no longer felt welcome and were choosing other destinations.
The Partido Popular government, led by Marga Prohens, has rejected a cap on visitors, preferring measures such as limits on tourist accommodation and action against illegal rentals.
A wider dilemma
The Balearics are not alone: destinations from Venice to Amsterdam are experimenting with ways to manage visitor numbers. With the PSIB in opposition, the cap is unlikely to become law in the current parliament, but the proposal shows how far the debate over tourism has moved in recent years.
