Americans emerge as sought-after visitors as vacation island faces tourism backlash

A popular Spanish vacation island is looking to attract wealthier American tourists as officials grapple with overtourism issues and growing anger among locals.

Mallorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, is one of Europe’s most popular vacation destinations. The island welcomed more than 13 million tourists in the first 10 months of 2025, according to official data from the Balearic Islands Statistics Institute.

Though it may seem counterintuitive amid concerns about overtourism, local officials said that attracting fewer, wealthier visitors could help shift Mallorca away from its reputation as a party destination among Europeans, they told The Wall Street Journal.

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Pedro Homar, managing director of Palma’s tourism board, specifically pointed to Americans as the type of wealthier, quieter travelers the island hopes to attract.

As The Journal reported, American tourists in Spain spent around $410 a day in July, compared with $240 for Germans and $260 for British travelers.

The outlet also reported that American visits to Mallorca rose 60% this year through June, with airlines like United Airlines expanding direct service to the island.

Julie Middlebrook-Levin, a luxury travel advisor with Fora, told Fox News Digital that Mallorca has become increasingly popular with American travelers in recent years.

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“I think that Americans [offer] a fresher approach to Mallorca, and I think a lot of the properties are starting to target Americans because possibly they’re spending more money than Europeans and are looking for a different experience than Europeans have in the past,” Middlebrook-Levin said.

The travel advisor, who spoke to Fox News Digital from Spain ahead of a trip to Mallorca, said luxury travelers are increasingly looking for more locally focused experiences.

“They’re looking for experiences that are very local, that include local food, local experiences,” Middlebrook-Levin said. “And I think that Mallorca is the destination now that has all of that.”

Homar contrasted Americans with British and German tourists, whose “main motivation is partying and drinking,” he told The Wall Street Journal.

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“Tourism is our way of life,” Homar said. “The change of model is quality over quantity. We need to have fewer tourists who spend more.”

“There’s hardly any space left for the locals.”

But some locals remain unconvinced.

Stella Arbona, a 23-year-old bakery worker in Mallorca, told the publication that the shift toward wealthier visitors does not address what she sees as the underlying problem.

“They occupy our streets, our homes, our spaces, and often fail to respect the people who are working for them,” Arbona said.

“There’s hardly any space left for the locals.”

To avoid contributing to tensions with locals, Middlebrook-Levin said tourists should be respectful when visiting.

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“I think that tourists need to be mindful of being a guest in another country,” she said.

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Mallorca has made headlines for other tourism-related concerns this year.

Earlier this summer, viral videos appeared to show tourists being targeted by pickpockets in Mallorca, including near the island’s capital Palma.

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In April, Fox News Digital reported that officials in Mallorca, along with neighboring Ibiza and Menorca, were considering limits on visitor numbers and other restrictions amid growing concerns over overtourism.