The numbers of ships docking in the islands’ ports is also falling. In 2022, 715 cruise ships called at the archipelago, which represents 12.8% less than in 2019 and 3 times more than in 2021.<\/p>\n
The limitation of cruises in the Balearic Islands in December 2021 could explain this decrease. In December 2021, the regional government and the main shipping companies reached an agreement to establish a limit of 3 daily cruises in Palma until 2026 and that only one of these could exceed 5,000 passengers. At that time it was predicted that the city would receive 14.5% fewer stopovers than in 2019, an estimate that has almost been fulfilled.<\/p>\n
This measure, a pioneer in Spain and which aims to minimise overcrowding and reduce the environmental footprint, has not been without controversy. A few months ago, Pimeco, Afedeco, the Association of Tourist Wholesalers and Shops (Amictur) and CAEB Restaurants described the measure as “reckless” and argued that it was “demonising” a means of transport that “promotes quality tourism and is seasonal”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"