Sustainable tourism: Experts discuss the future in Mallorca!

Sustainable tourism: Experts discuss the future in Mallorca!

The challenges of tourism are the focus of the upcoming eForum 2025 conference in Mallorca. On June 11, Professor of Marketing and Market Research Estrella Díaz will give her lecture entitled “Beyond the Destination: Sustainability in Tourism, Technology and Data Management in the Digital Age” at the Es Baluard Museum in Palma de Mallorca. The two-day conference brings together experts from the fields of environment, renewable energy, tourism and sustainable architecture to discuss innovative approaches to promote sustainable tourism development. Loud Mallorca Magazine highlights the role of technology and data to increase efficiency in the tourism sector and make destinations more sustainable and resilient.

Díaz emphasizes that future tourism should not only focus on economic aspects, but also must regenerate environments and promote people's well-being. Regenerative tourism is presented as a concept that seeks positive impacts such as restoring ecosystems and strengthening local communities.

Regenerative tourism is key

The Balearic Islands are intended to be a model for regenerative tourism, where local consumption is encouraged and tourism is closely linked to the values ​​of the region. Necessary changes for a more circular tourism model include redesigning the tourism offer with a low environmental impact, integrating local providers as well as promoting sustainable transport and the more conscious use of natural resources. However, with an increase of 25% in tourists between 2018 and 2023, representing over 16 million visits per year, Mallorca is also facing serious problems such as overcrowded roads and a strained water supply, highlighting the need for sustainable solutions, such as Tourobs reported.

In the wake of overtourism, sustainable and regenerative practices are increasingly being sought to ease the pressure on overcrowded destinations. Protests in cities like Barcelona, ​​where citizens are demonstrating against the negative impacts of tourism, highlight the urgency of this change. While Barcelona plans to stop holiday rentals by the end of 2028 to combat the housing shortage, Mallorca also presents challenges that require innovative approaches to solving them.

Technology and data for sustainable practices

The requirement for tourism destinations to become active players in ecological and social regeneration is becoming increasingly urgent. Digitalization plays a central role in this change. The need for a robust digital infrastructure is clear in the Smart Tourism Destinations project, which aims at continuous innovation and the use of data to optimize resource use.

Overall, developments in Mallorca and other destinations show that a balance needs to be struck between the interests of tourists and the needs of local communities. The results of regenerative tourism could be crucial to addressing the challenges of overtourism and strengthening regional communities.