Column “There and Back”: Viral insider tips for Mallorca

If only the tourism marketing experts of the Spanish Balearic Islands had listened to good old Goethe. "The spirits I called, I won't get rid of them now," he wrote in his ballad "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"—and it fits so prophetically with the social media phenomenon, which the old master couldn't have possibly known about, that it almost borders on magic.

The Spanish Mediterranean islands, especially Mallorca , are, well, not exactly a hidden gem. Crowded tourists hang around empty sangria buckets on crowded beaches. Active holidaymakers cycle in packs up and down the mountain roads. Independent travelers rent apartments from locals. 13.4 million people visited Mallorca in 2024, more than ever before. For several years now, resistance has been brewing among the islanders because everyday life has become unbearable for them at times.

Unfortunately, however, the vacationers also bring a lot of money to the island. So, how about simply distributing it a bit more evenly, thought those in charge? Surely there was still room for improvement in one or two bays and one or two villages. For this purpose, they hired people whose job titles already embody their ability to exert influence: Influencers were tasked with spreading the word about these undiscovered insider tips to the world via Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms.

Well, the plan worked, albeit more in the style of the sorcerer's apprentice. We remember: His servile spirit submerged everything because, once set in motion, it couldn't be stopped. The influencer tips also went viral: In front of a once hidden, admittedly very idyllic bay, vacationers queued for hours in a rental car traffic jam to take photos of the rock-rimmed turquoise sea, #nofilter, of course. Up to 4,000 people came a day, and the narrow sandy beach had room for just 100.

Could we have known about the multiplier effect of social media? Perhaps if we had inquired in Hallstatt, Austria, at Lake Braies in South Tyrol, or at Maya Bay in Thailand. But as the saying goes: everyone has to gain their own experience.

Now, however, the influencer campaign is said to be over. "It had the exact opposite effect of what was intended," a spokesperson for the tourism authority told the British Guardian . All images of the bay in question have been removed from the websites.

What's her name? Well, that's a secret again from now on.