The arrival of cruise ships at the Port of Palma has fallen by 15% compared to pre-pandemic figures, a decline that is having a negative impact on sectors such as hospitality, retail, and transport. In response, the Pro-Cruise Platform has urged the Balearic Government and the cruise companies that visit the island not to renew the agreement signed in May 2022, arguing that it is severely damaging the local economy.

cruise ship

The platform’s spokesperson, Alex Fraile, explained that the agreement was established to regulate cruise arrivals and prevent overcrowding on certain days. “The objective of the agreement was to smooth out peaks, preventing three or four cruise ships from arriving on some days while having none on others. That goal has been met, but it has also caused a significant drop in cruise arrivals at the Port of Palma. Right now, we are 15% below 2018 levels,” Fraile stated.

Demonisation of cruise tourism

The platform’s spokesperson also responded to claims that cruise tourism will grow in Palma in 2025, asserting that data is being manipulated. “Those who oppose cruise tourism manipulate the figures to mislead people, and the truth is that they succeed. To cause alarm, they use the years when traffic dropped due to the pandemic as a reference, when in reality, we are still 15% below pre-pandemic figures. Moreover, they now speak as if it were a catastrophe that cruise passenger numbers are expected to rise by just 2% compared to 2024,” Fraile said.

Fraile also questioned why attention is being focused on cruise ships while other forms of tourism continue to grow unchecked. “Why is the spotlight being placed on such a minor segment of tourism, one that has actually declined due to a voluntary self-regulation agreement with the Balearic Government? It seems irrelevant whether hotels are at 90% or 100% occupancy or whether Palma Airport is breaking flight records—what truly matters, it seems, is stopping cruise tourists from coming. And what about all the families who rely on this industry? They don’t seem to matter. That’s why we are calling for this agreement not to be renewed, as it is destroying many businesses and putting numerous families in a difficult position,” he concluded.