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

Palma de Mallorca Airport is seen in the image above.Mallorca officials are pursuing a tourism model focused on fewer visitors who spend more as concerns about overtourism continue.(Getty Images)

“They’re looking for experiences that are very local, that includelocal 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.

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

Mallorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, draws millions of visitors each year as a popular vacation destination in Europe.(Clara Margais/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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“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.

“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.

American visits to Mallorca rose 60% this year through June, according to figures reported by The Wall Street Journal.(Jaime Reina/AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this summer, viral videos appeared to show touristsbeing targeted by pickpocketsin Mallorca, including near the island’s capital Palma.

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

com/travel/popular-vacation-hot-spots-slap-limits-tourist-rentals-driving-more-protect-stunning-spaces" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">officials in Mallorca, along with neighboring Ibiza and Menorca, were considering limits on visitor numbers and other restrictions amid growing concerns over overtourism.