Balearic Bookings Rise, Fuel Costs Climb, Cruise Numbers Fall, Soft Power Index, Real Mallorca Update, Ibiza’s New Courthouse

Balearic tourism is shifting. Bookings are rising as travellers explore new destinations, but soaring fuel costs are putting fresh pressure on the islands. Meanwhile, Ibiza’s cruise numbers have taken a dip - raising the question of whether the boom has peaked. We also reveal the 2026 Soft Power Index for Ibiza and Mallorca, with some surprising results. On the sports front, Real Mallorca turn victory into a draw, and in Ibiza there’s progress at last on the city’s new courthouse - though locals will still need to wait around 20 months before it opens.All this and more in TALKING BALEARICSWe are the only English speaking podcast covering the incredible Balearic Islands which has a thriving expat population and welcomed 19 million international tourists in 2025 including almost 4 million UK visitors.DAD TAXI' BLOG - https://dadtaximallorca.com/RICHIE PRIOR ON INSTAGRAM -  https://www.instagram.com/dad.taxi/Message me hereMessage me here'MAN IN SAN AN' BLOG' - https://maninsanan.com/MARTIN MAKEPEACE ON SUBSTACK - https://martinmakepeace.substack.com/MARTIN MAKEPEACE ON INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/martinmakepeace/Original music © Alex Ellenger/Martin Makepeace