How sex tourism impacts Mallorca, and what can be done | Focus on Europe

Summary

In July 2025, Spanish police freed more than 150 trafficked women in a major operation. The report says this represents only a fraction of the trafficking problem. Mallorca’s sex trade grows during the tourist season, alongside a wider Spanish industry that the report describes as worth billions.

The report cites estimates of more than 150,000 sex workers in Spain and around 8,000 in the Balearic Islands. Local aid groups say many are migrants without residence permits, while official figures cited in the report estimate that about 80% of sex workers are trafficking victims.

Aid workers describe a tourism model centered on alcohol and unrestricted partying as conducive to prostitution. A woman who survived trafficking recounts violence, confinement, and rape. She says the trade has spread from a few streets and brothels to online listings, apartments, and massage parlors.

The report investigates massage businesses in Palma’s Son Armadams district, where a resident says ten parlors have appeared within 500 meters. During an undercover visit, a worker offers sexual services for extra payment, though the premises are licensed as beauty salons.

Police say they conduct checks and try to speak privately with workers. However, under Spanish law, proving that another person profits from sex work is necessary to establish a crime. Traffickers may work with local partners while recruiting victims abroad.

Aid organizations welcome greater police attention but caution that enforcement alone is not enough. They worry authorities may focus on making prostitution less visible and call for education that helps young people critically examine the issue. The report frames the debate as a question about Mallorca’s future and identity, arguing for tourism built around the island’s beaches and hospitality rather than sex tourism.

Presenters and Contributors

• Jaume — aid worker
• Serafín — aid worker
• Juan Lemos Hoffen — police inspector
• Nina Parrón — local advocate
• An unnamed trafficking survivor, neighborhood resident, and tourists also contribute.