The Balearic Islands have been plagued by scorching heatwaves this year with temperatures skyrocketing to over 40C.
The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued several special weather warning’s this year due to extreme heatwaves that have affected a large part of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
In 2023, the Balearics attracted 21 percent of the 17,262,287 tourists from the United Kingdom who visited Spain and was the second favourite Spanish destination, behind only the Canary Islands, with 31 percent.
The Balearics also accounted for 27 percent of the 57,652,441 overnight stays made by British tourists in Spain in 2023, behind 39 percent in the Canary Islands.
But the extreme temperatures could cause a 60 percent loss of summer tourism in the Balearics by the end of the century and potentially an annual 27 percent net decrease in tourist demand according to a BBVA report, as reported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
Spring and autumn will compensate, with spring becoming the preferred season when temperatures are more manageable.
Known for its rugged coastline and cooler summer temperatures the northern coastal areas of Spain will benefit from increased summer tourism with tourists set to snub the Balearics and the south.
Meteorologist Agustí Jansà, a one-time delegate in the Balearics for Aemet, said: “Our region is warming faster than the rest of the planet.
“And as the summer gets hotter, so there are more heat waves and of longer duration as well as storms that are more violent than previously.”
Damià Gomis, professor of earth physics at the University of the Balearic Islands, said: “In the autumn, water temperatures are higher than we used to have because there is more heat.
“The direct impact is that autumn storms can be stronger because they take moisture from the sea and release it into the atmosphere.”
Anti-tourism protests have swept across Majorca with some believing the scorching heat may help relieve pressure in the summer.
It is believed that Spain’s tourism industry must adapt and instead promote off-season travel and diversifying tourist attractions beyond just beach tourism.