Economists behind the Informe Fènix have warned that expanding Ibiza Airport could intensify the demographic and economic pressures already affecting the island, arguing that further growth in tourism and population does not necessarily translate into greater prosperity for residents.

The comments were made during the presentation of the Informe Fènix at the Universitat de les Illes Balears in Ibiza on Wednesday, September 16. The event was organised by the Institut d'Estudis Eivissencs and brought together economists Miquel Puig and Guillem López-Casasnovas, two of the report's authors, with economist and former Consell de Ibiza councillor Joan Serra Mayans moderating the discussion.

A Report Focused on Catalonia

The Informe Fènix is primarily an analysis of the Catalan economy and its development over the past 25 years.

The report examines the relationship between economic growth, productivity, population growth, wages and material prosperity. It also includes comparative analysis of the Balearic Islands in several sections.

The economists presented the Balearic figures as relevant to the debate in Ibiza because of the islands' heavy reliance on tourism and the strong population growth experienced during the same period.

Ibiza's Population Has Almost Doubled

Guillem López-Casasnovas highlighted Ibiza's demographic growth as one of the clearest indicators of the changes experienced by the island.

According to the figures presented at the event, Ibiza had 88,076 residents in 2001 and 167,988 in 2026, an increase of around 90 percent.

The economists argued that such population growth needs to be considered alongside productivity and income rather than being treated simply as evidence of economic success.

Economic Growth Does Not Automatically Mean Greater Prosperity

Miquel Puig argued that the Balearic economy has experienced substantial growth in overall GDP while seeing much weaker growth in GDP per capita.

His central point was that an economy can become larger without residents necessarily becoming proportionately better off.

The presentation therefore focused heavily on productivity, wages and the amount of economic value generated per worker rather than on headline economic growth alone.

Low-Paid Employment at the Centre of the Argument

López-Casasnovas argued that the Balearic Islands have created large numbers of jobs in sectors with relatively low wages.

The economists' argument is that increasing employment through lower-paid activities can raise total GDP while failing to generate the same improvement in material wellbeing or productivity.

Puig similarly argued that some tourism-dependent economies have grown by putting more people to work rather than by substantially increasing the value generated by each worker.

Tourism Is Not Necessarily Low Productivity

The economists were careful to distinguish tourism itself from the way tourism is organised.

Puig argued that tourism can be a highly productive sector, pointing to regions such as Tirol as examples of destinations where tourism generates substantial economic value.

His criticism was instead directed towards a model based heavily on very high visitor volumes and relatively low-productivity activities.

The Airport Becomes a Central Part of the Debate

That analysis led directly to the question of Ibiza Airport.

López-Casasnovas argued that, given the pressures already associated with the island's current growth model, expanding the airport could add further pressure.

He described the proposed expansion as "echar leña al fuego", saying that increasing the island's main gateway could work against efforts to manage the volume of activity already taking place.

He also called for greater civic involvement in the debate and argued that airport policy should be considered alongside the wider economic and social consequences for Ibiza.

The Current Airport Project

Aena's project involves a major remodelling of Ibiza Airport, including new infrastructure for passengers travelling outside the Schengen area, a centralised passport-control system and a redesigned boarding area.

The number of boarding gates is planned to increase from 17 to 32, while eight new boarding bridges are also included in the project.

Aena says the works are intended primarily to adapt the airport to new European border-control requirements, improve operational processes and enhance passenger experience, rather than simply to increase capacity.

Balearic Economy Compared With Other Tourism Regions

Puig compared the Balearic Islands with other economies that depend heavily on tourism, including the Canary Islands, Andorra and the Valencian Community.

His argument was that these territories have experienced strong GDP and population growth while seeing comparatively limited increases in GDP per capita.

He contrasted this with more productive tourism economies and argued that the difference lies partly in the type of tourism activity being developed rather than in tourism itself.

Housing and Tourist Accommodation

The discussion also turned to housing.

Puig argued that the growth of tourist accommodation has contributed to pressure on access to housing and supported stronger regulation where there are serious difficulties for residents in finding homes.

The Fènix report proposes reducing tourism capacity as one of several possible measures for economies facing the problems identified in its analysis.

During the Ibiza presentation, housing affordability and the cost of buying and renting property were among the issues raised by attendees.

Calls for a Different Tourism Model

The economists argued that the debate should move beyond the assumption that more visitors and more employment necessarily represent greater economic success.

Among the measures discussed in the Fènix framework are stronger regulation of tourism accommodation, changes to incentives favouring low-productivity activities and measures aimed at encouraging better-paid and more productive employment.

The report also discusses selective immigration policies and changes to fiscal incentives, though these proposals are part of the authors' broader economic analysis and are not current policy measures adopted for Ibiza.

The September 20 Airport Demonstration

The airport discussion comes just days before a demonstration organised in Ibiza Town against Aena's planned project.

The September 20 mobilisation has been backed by a number of civic, environmental and political organisations, with supporters arguing that Ibiza should focus on managing existing tourism pressure rather than providing infrastructure for continued expansion.

The economists' comments have therefore entered an already active public debate over the airport's future.

A Distinction Between the Report and Its Ibiza Application

The Informe Fènix does not constitute a dedicated economic study of Ibiza or Formentera.

Its principal subject is Catalonia, while the Balearic Islands appear in selected comparative analysis. The application of the report's conclusions to Ibiza was a central theme of the September 16 presentation and reflects the interpretation offered by the participating economists and the Institut d'Estudis Eivissencs.

That distinction is important when assessing claims about the island's economy.

The Question of What Growth Delivers

The discussion in Ibiza ultimately centred on a broader question: what does economic growth actually deliver for the people who live in a territory?

For Puig and López-Casasnovas, the relevant indicators are not only total GDP or the number of jobs created, but also productivity, GDP per capita, wages, housing access and the pressure placed on public resources.

From that perspective, they argue that Ibiza's challenge is not simply deciding whether tourism should grow, but determining what type of economic activity can generate greater value without increasing pressure at the same pace.

Airport Expansion Becomes Part of a Wider Economic Debate

The debate over Ibiza Airport is therefore no longer limited to terminal design, passenger flows and European border-control requirements.

It has become connected to wider questions about tourism intensity, housing, population growth, employment, productivity and the future economic model of the island.

The economists behind the Informe Fènix have made their position clear: given the pressures they identify in the Balearic economy, they believe expanding Ibiza's main gateway risks adding further pressure unless it is accompanied by a broader rethink of how the island manages growth.

The airport project itself remains an Aena infrastructure programme driven in large part by European regulatory and operational requirements, while the question of what that infrastructure means for Ibiza's future remains the subject of an increasingly significant public debate.