Americans emerge as sought-after visitors as vacation island faces tourism backlash

A popular Spanish vacation island is looking to attract wealthier American tourists as officials grapple with overtourism issues and growing anger among locals.

Pedro Homar, managing director of Palma's tourism board, specifically pointed to Americans as the type of wealthier, quieter travelers the island hopes to attract.

The outlet also reported that American visits to Mallorca rose 60% this year through June, with airlines like United Airlines expanding direct service to the island.

Julie Middlebrook-Levin, a luxury travel advisor with Fora, told Fox News Digital that Mallorca has become increasingly popular with American travelers in recent years.

The travel advisor, who spoke to Fox News Digital from Spain ahead of a trip to Mallorca, said luxury travelers are increasingly looking for more locally focused experiences.

Homar contrasted Americans with British and German tourists, whose "main motivation is partying and drinking," he told The Wall Street Journal.

"Tourism is our way of life," Homar said. "The change of model is quality over quantity. We need to have fewer tourists who spend more."

But some locals remain unconvinced.

Stella Arbona, a 23-year-old bakery worker in Mallorca, told the publication that the shift toward wealthier visitors does not address what she sees as the underlying problem.

"They occupy our streets, our homes, our spaces, and often fail to respect the people who are working for them," Arbona said.

"There's hardly any space left for the locals."

To avoid contributing to tensions with locals, Middlebrook-Levin said tourists should be respectful when visiting.

"I think that tourists need to be mindful of being a guest in another country," she said.

Mallorca has made headlines for other tourism-related concerns this year.